Canine IL-4 immunoregulatory proteins and uses thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF proteins; to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF proteins, respectively; to antibodies raised against such proteins; and to inhibitory compounds that regulate such proteins. The present invention also includes methods to identify and obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to regulate an immune response in an animal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to prior pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/087,306, filed May 29, 1998, entitled “CANINE INTERLEUKIN-4 AND FLT-3 LIGAND PROTEINS, NUCLEIC ACID MOLECULES, AND USES THEREOF”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules, proteins encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, antibodies raised against such proteins and/or inhibitors of such proteins or nucleic acid molecules. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such nucleic acid molecules, proteins, antibodies and/or inhibitors, as well as their use to regulate an immune response in an animal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Regulating immune responses in animals is important in disease management. Immune responses can be regulated by modifying the activity of immunoregulatory molecules and immune cells.

Several immunoregulatory molecules have been found in humans and other mammal species. Interleukin-4, produced by activated type 2 helper cells (T_(H)2 cells), has a number of functions. These functions include promotion of naive T cells and B cells to differentiate and proliferate. IL-4 promotes T_(H)2 differentiation and inhibits T_(H)1 development. FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3, (Flt-3 ligand) stimulates the expansion and mobilization of hematopoetic precursor cell stimulating activity. CD40 is a type I transmembrane protein expressed on antigen presenting cells, such as B lymphocytes, and other types of cells such as endothelial cells, epithelial cells, and fibroblasts. CD40 ligand (also known as CD154) is a type II transmembrane protein that is preferentially expressed on activated T lymphocytes. The CD40-CD154 interaction regulates diverse pathways of the immune system, including B cell proliferation, immunoglobulin production and class switching by B cells, activation and clonal expansion of T cells, activity of antigen presenting cells, growth and differentiation of epithelial cells, and regulation of inflammatory responses at mucosal and cutaneous sites. Interleukin-5 is produced by activated type 2 helper cells (T_(H)2), mast cells, and eosinophils. Its main functions include promotion of growth and differentiation of eosinophils and generation of cytotoxic T cells from thymocytes. Interleukin-13 is produced by T_(H)1 and T_(H)2 cells, and promotes growth and differentiation of B cells, up-regulation of MHC class II and CD23 expression on monocytes/macrophages and B cells; and inhibition of production of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, among others. Interferon alpha is an antiviral protein that has three major functions: it inhibits viral replication by activating cellular genes that destroy mRNA and inhibit protein translation, it induces MHC class I expression in non virally-infected cells, increasing resistance to NK cells, and can activate NK cells. GM-CSF, (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) stimulates the production of granulocytes and macrophages.

Prior investigators have disclosed sequences encoding feline IL-4 (Lemer et al., Genbank Accession No. U39634); porcine IL-4 (Zhou et al., Genbank Accession No. L12991); bovine IL-4 (Heussler, V. T., et al., Gene, vol. 114, pp. 273-278, 1992); ovine IL-4 (Seow, H.-F., et al., Gene, vol. 124, pp. 291-293, 1993); human IL-4 (Yokota, T., et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., vol. 83(16), pp. 5894-5898, 1986); and murine IL-4 (Sideras, P., et al., Adv. Exp. Med. Biol., vol. 213, pp. 227-236, 1987). Prior investigators have disclosed sequences encoding murine Flt-3 ligand (McClanahan et al., Genbank Accession No. U44024); and human Flt-3 ligand (Lyman et al., Blood, vol. 83, pp. 2795-2801, 1994). Prior investigators have disclosed sequences encoding human CD40 (Stamenkovic et al., EMBO J., vol. 8:1403-1410, 1989, GenBank Accession No. (X60592), bovine CD40 (Hirano et al., Immunology, vol. 90, pp. 294-300, 1997, GenBank Accession No. U57745), and murine CD40 (Grimaldi et al., J. Immunol., vol. 143, pp. 3921-3926, 1992; Torres and Clark, J. Immunol., vol. 148, pp. 620-626, 1992, GenBank Accession No. M83312). Prior investigators have disclosed sequences encoding human CD154 (Graf et al., Eur. J. Immunol., vol. 22, pp. 3191-3194, 1992; Hollenbaugh, et al., EMBO J., vol. 11:4313-4321, 1992; Gauchat et al., FEBS lett., vol., 315, pp. 259-266, 1993; GenBank Accession Nos L07414, X68550, Z15017, X67878, respectively); bovine CD154 (Mertens et al., Immunogenetics, vol. 42, pp. 430-431, GenBank Accession No. Z48468); and murine CD154 (Armitage et al., Nature, vol. 357, pp. 80-82; 1992, GenBank Accession No. X65453). Prior investigators have disclosed sequences encoding feline interleukin-5 (Padrid et al., Am. J. Vet. Res., vol. 59, pp. 1263-1269, 1988, GenBank Accession No. AF025436) and human interleukin-5 (Azuma et al., Nucleic Acids Res., vol. 14, pp. 9149-9158, 1986, GenBank Accession No. X04688). Prior investigators have disclosed sequences encoding human interleukin-13 (McKenzie et al., Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 90, pp. 3735-3739, 1993; Minty et al., Nature, vol. 362, pp. 248-250, 1993, GenBank Accession Nos L06801 and X69079, respectively); murine interleukin-13 (Brown et at., J. Immunol., vol. 142, pp. 679-687; 1989, GenBank Accession No. M23504); and rat interleukin-13 (Lakkis et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., Vol. 197, pp. 612-618, 1993, GenBank Accession No. L26913). Prior investigators have disclosed sequences encoding feline interferon (Nakamura, N., Sudo, T., Matsuda, S., Yanai, A., Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. (1992)Vol: 56 pp 211-214, GenBank accession #E02521). Prior investigators have also disclosed sequences encoding feline GM-CSF (direct submission to GenBank, Accession No. AF053007)

There remains a need for compounds and methods to regulate an immune response by manipulation of the function of canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules, proteins encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, antibodies raised against such proteins and/or inhibitors of such proteins or nucleic acid molecules. Identification of the nucleic acid molecules of the present invention is unexpected because initial attempts to obtain nucleic acid molecules using PCR were unsuccessful. After numerous attempts, the inventors discovered specific primers that were useful for isolating such nucleic acid molecules.

One embodiment of the present invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (a) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, and/or SEQ ID NO:21; or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least about 50 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 50 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, and/or SEQ ID NO:21; (b) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, and/or SEQ ID NO:37 or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 40 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 40 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, and/or SEQ ID NO:37; (c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, and/or SEQ ID NO:50, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 30 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 30 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, and/or SEQ ID NO:50; (d) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, and/or SEQ ID NO:59, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 40 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 40 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, and/or SEQ ID NO:59; (e) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:60 and/or SEQ ID NO:62 and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 30 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 30 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:60 and/or SEQ ID NO:62; (f) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69 and/or SEQ ID NO:71, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 45 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 45 nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69 and/or SEQ ID NO:71; (g) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, and/or SEQ ID NO:79, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 35 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 35 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, and/or SEQ ID NO:79; (h) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, and/or SEQ ID NO:87, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 45 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 45 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, and/or SEQ ID NO:87; (i) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, and/or SEQ ID NO:106, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 15 contiguous nucleotide region identical to a 15 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, and/or SEQ ID NO:106 (j) an isolated nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:109, SEQ ID NO:110, SEQ ID NO:112, SEQ ID NO:113, SEQ ID NO:115, SEQ ID NO:116, SEQ ID NO:118; and/or (k) an isolated nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:119, SEQ ID NO:121, SEQ ID NO:122, SEQ ID NO:123, SEQ ID NO:124, SEQ ID NO:126.

Another embodiment of the present invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 92 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, and/or SEQ ID NO:21; (b) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 75 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, and/or SEQ ID NO:37; (c) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 75 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, and/or SEQ ID NO:50; (d) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 70 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, and/or SEQ ID NO:59; (e) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 70 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:60 and/or SEQ ID NO:62; (f) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69 and/or SEQ ID NO:71; (g) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 91 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, and/or SEQ ID NO:79; (h) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 90 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, and/or SEQ ID NO:87; (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 65 percent identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, and/or SEQ ID NO:106; (j) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:109, SEQ ID NO:122, SEQ ID NO:112, SEQ ID NO:113, SEQ ID NO:115, SEQ ID NO:116, amd/or SEQ ID NO:118; and/or (k) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence that is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:119, SEQ ID NO:121, SEQ ID NO:122, SEQ ID NO:123, SEQ ID NO:124, and/or SEQ ID NO:126.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-4 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:20 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 20 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:20; (b) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a Flt-3 ligand protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 75 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 25 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34; (c) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a Flt-3 ligand protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 75 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:44 and/or SEQ ID NO:49 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 25 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:44 and/or SEQ ID NO:49; (d) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CD40 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 70 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and/or SEQ ID NO:58 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 30 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and/or SEQ ID NO:58; (e) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CD40 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 60 percent identical to an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:61 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 20 amino acids of an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:61; (f) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CD154 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 80 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:65 and/or SEQ ID NO:70, and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 35 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:65 and/or SEQ ID NO:70; (g) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CD154 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:73 and/or SEQ ID NO:78, and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 50 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:73 and/or SEQ ID NO:78; (h) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-5 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:81 and/or SEQ ID NO:86 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 20 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:81 and/or SEQ ID NO:86; (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-13 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 70 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 15 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105; (j) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an interferon alpha protein having an amino acid sequence that is selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:111, SEQ ID NO:114, and/or SEQ ID NO:117; (k) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a GMCSF protein having an amino acid sequence that is selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:120, SEQ ID NO:126, and/or (l) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a complement of any of said nucleic acid molecules as set forth in (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), and/or (k), wherein said IL-4 protein elicits an immune response against an IL-4 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:20 and/or is a protein with interleukin-4 activity said Flt-3 ligand protein elicits an immune response against a Flt-3 ligand protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:44, and/or SEQ ID NO:49 and/or is a protein with Flt-3 ligand activity, said CD40 protein elicits an immune response against a CD40 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:58, and/or SEQ ID NO:61 and/or is a protein with CD40 activity, said CD154 protein elicits an immune response against a CD154 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:73, and/or SEQ ID NO:78 and/or is a protein with CD154 activity, said IL-5 protein elicits an immune response against a IL-5 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:81 and/or SEQ ID NO:86 and/or is a protein with IL-5 activity, said IL-13 protein elicits an immune response against an IL-13 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105 and/or is a protein with IL-13 activity, said interferon alpha protein elicits an immune response against an interferon alpha protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:111, SEQ ID NO:114, and/or SEQ ID NO:117 and/or is a protein with interferon alpha activity, and/or said GMCSF protein elicits an immune response against a GMCSF protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:120 and/or SEQ ID NO:125 and/or is a protein with GM-CSF activity.

The present invention also includes methods to produce any of the proteins of the present invention using nucleic acid molecules of the present invention and recombinantly using such nucleic acid molecules.

The present invention also includes an isolated protein selected from the group consisting of: (a) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least60 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 60 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:4, and/or SEQ ID NO:19; and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 20 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 20 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:20, wherein said isolated protein elicits an immune response against a canine IL-4 protein and/or has IL-4 activity; (b) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 60 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, and/or SEQ ID NO:36; and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 20 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 20 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a canine Flt-3 ligand protein and/or has Flt-3 activity; (c) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least60 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 60 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:46, and/or SEQ ID NO:48; and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 20 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 20 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:44 and/or SEQ ID NO:49, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a feline Flt-3 ligand protein and/or has Flt-3 activity; (d) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 30 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least90 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 90 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:55, and/or SEQ ID NO:57 and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 30 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 30 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 30 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:58, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a canine CD40 protein and/or has CD40 activity; (e) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least 60 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 60 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence comprising Seq id no:60; and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 20 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 20 contiguous amino acid region comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:61, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a feline CD40 protein and/or has CD40 activity; (f) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 35 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least 5 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 105 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:67, and/or SEQ ID NO:69; and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 35 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 35 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 35 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:65 and/or SEQ ID NO:70, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a canine CD154 protein and/or has CD154 activity; (g) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 50 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least 150 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 150 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:75, and/or SEQ ID NO:77; and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 50 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 50 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 50 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:73 and/or SEQ ID NO:78, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a feline CD154 protein and/or has CD154 activity; (h) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 60 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:83, and/or SEQ ID NO:85; and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 20 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 20 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:81 and/or SEQ ID NO:86, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a canine IL-5 protein and/or has IL-5 activity; (i) (i) an isolated protein of at least about 15 amino acids in length, wherein said protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule has an at least45 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 45 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:102, and/or SEQ ID NO:104; and/or (ii) an isolated protein of at least about 15 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 15 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 15 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a canine IL-13 protein and/or has IL-13 activity; (j) (i) an isolated protein encoded by a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:110, SEQ ID NO:113, and/or SEQ ID NO:116, and/or (ii) an isolated protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:114, and/or SEQ ID NO:117, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a feline interferon alpha protein and/or has interferon alpha activity; (k) (i) an isolated protein encoded by a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:119, SEQ ID NO:122, and/or SEQ ID NO:124, and/or (ii) an isolated protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:120 and/or SEQ ID NO:125, wherein said isolated protein is capable of eliciting an immune response against a feline GM-CSF and/or has GM-CSF activity.

The present invention also includes an isolated protein selected from the group consisting of: (a) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:20; (b) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 75 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34; (c) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 75 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:44 and/or SEQ ID NO:49; and/or (d) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 70 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and/or SEQ ID NO:58; (e) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 60 percent identical to an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:61; (f) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 80 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:65 and/or SEQ ID NO:70; (g) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:73 and/or SEQ ID NO:78; (h) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:81 and/or SEQ ID NO:86; (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 70 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105; (j) a protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:111, SEQ ID NO:114, and/or SEQ ID NO:117; and/or (k) a protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:120, and/or SEQ ID NO:125.

The present invention also includes isolated antibodies that selectively bind to a protein of the present invention.

One aspect of the present invention is a therapeutic composition that, when administered to an animal, regulates an immune response in said animal, said therapeutic composition comprising a therapeutic compound selected from the group consisting of: an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention; a mimetope of any of said immunoregulatory proteins; and a multimeric form of any of said immunoregulatory proteins; an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention; an antibody that selectively binds to any of said immunoregulatory protein; and/or an inhibitor of a immunoregulatory protein activity identified by its ability to inhibit the activity of any of said immunoregulatory proteins. Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method to regulate an immune response in an animal comprising administering to the animal a therapeutic composition of the present invention.

The present invention also includes a method to produce an immunoregulatory protein, said method comprising culturing a cell capable of expressing said protein, said protein being encoded by a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of regulating an immune response in an animal, said method comprising: (a) contacting an isolated canine IL-4 protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has T cell proliferation stimulating activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (b) contacting an isolated canine Flt-3 ligand protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has dendritic precursor cell proliferation stimulating activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (c) contacting an isolated feline Flt-3 ligand protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has dendritic precursor cell proliferation stimulating activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (d) contacting an isolated canine CD40 protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has CD40 ligand binding activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (e) contacting an isolated feline CD40 protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has CD40 ligand binding activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (f) contacting an isolated canine CD154 protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has B cell proliferation activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (g) contacting an isolated feline CD154 protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has B cell proliferation activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (h) contacting an isolated canine IL-5 protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has TF-1 cell proliferation activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (i) contacting an isolated canine IL-13 protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has TF-1 cell proliferation activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; (j) contacting an isolated feline IFNα protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has inhibition of proliferation of GM-CSF stimulated TF-1 cell activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity; or (k) contacting an isolated feline GMCSF protein of the present invention with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, said protein has TF-1 cell proliferation activity; and determining if said putative inhibitory compound inhibits said activity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides for isolated canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF proteins, isolated canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules, antibodies directed against canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF proteins, and compounds derived therefrom that regulate the immune response of an animal (e.g. inhibitors, antibodies and peptides).

Canine IL-4 protein can refer to a canine IL-4 protein, including homologs thereof Canine Flt-3 ligand protein can refer to a canine Flt-3 ligand, including homologs thereof, and feline Flt-3 ligand can refer to feline Flt-3 ligand, including homologs thereof. Canine CD40 can refer to a canine CD40, including homologs thereof; feline CD40 can refer to a feline CD40, including homologs thereof Canine CD154 can refer to a canine CD154, including homologs thereof, feline CD154 can refer to a feline CD154, including homologs thereof. Canine IL-5 can refer to canine IL-5, including homologs thereof; canine IL-13 can refer to canine IL-13, including homologs thereof. Feline IFNα can refer to a feline IFNα, including homologs thereof, and feline GM-CSF can refer to a feline GM-CSF, including homologs thereof As used herein, the phrase “regulate an immune response” refers to modulating the activity of cells or molecules involved in an immune response. The term “regulate” can refer to increasing or decreasing an immune response. Regulation of an immune response can be determined using methods known in the art as well as methods disclosed herein. The term, “immunoregulatory protein” refers to a protein that can modulate the activity of cells or of molecules involved in an immune response. An immunoregulatory protein of the present invention refers to a canine IL-4, a canine and/or feline CD40, a canine and/or feline Flt3 ligand, a canine and/or feline CD154, a canine IL-5, a canine IL-13, a feline IFNα and/or a feline GM-CSF protein as described herein. As used herein, the terms isolated canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF proteins and/or isolated canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules refer to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF proteins and/or canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules derived from mammals and, as such, can be obtained from their natural source, or can be produced using, for example, recombinant nucleic acid technology or chemical synthesis. Also included in the present invention is the use of these proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and/or compounds derived therefrom as therapeutic compositions to regulate the immune response of an animal as well as in other applications, such as those disclosed below.

One embodiment of the present invention is an isolated protein that includes a canine IL-4 protein, a canine and/or feline Flt-3 ligand protein, a canine and/or feline CD40 protein, a canine and/or feline CD154 protein, a canine interleukin-5 protein, a canine interleukin-13 protein, a feline interferon alpha protein, and/or a feline GM-CSF protein. It is to be noted that the term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity: for example, a protein refers to one or more proteins or at least one protein. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably. According to the present invention, an isolated, or biologically pure, protein, is a protein that has been removed from its natural milieu. As such, “isolated” and/or “biologically pure” do not necessarily reflect the extent to which the protein has been purified. An isolated protein of the present invention can be obtained from its natural source, can be produced using recombinant DNA technology, or can be produced by chemical synthesis. Nucleic acid molecules of the present invention of known length isolated from Canis familiaris are denoted as follows: IL-4 is denoted as nCaIL-4_(x), for example, nCaIL-4₅₄₉, wherein “#” refers to the number of nucleotides in that molecule; and in a similar fashion, Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecules are referred to as nCaFlt3L_(x); CD40, nCaCD40_(x); CD154, nCaCD154_(x); IL-5, nCaIL-5_(x); and IL-13, nCaIL-13_(x). In a similar fashion, Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecules of the present invention of known length isolated from Felis catus are denoted as nFeFlt3L_(x), CD40, nFeCD40_(x); CD154, nFeCD154_(x); IFNα, nFeIFNα_(x); and GM-CSF (also denoted GMCSF), nFeGM-CSF_(x). Similarly, proteins of the present invention of known length isolated from Felis catus are denoted as PFeFlt3I_(x), PFeCD40_(x), PFeCD154_(x), PFeIFNα_(x), and/or PFeGM-CSF_(x); and proteins of the present invention of known length isolated from Canis familiaris are denoted PCaIL-4_(x), PCaFlt3L_(x), PCaCD40_(x), PCaCD154_(x), PCaIL-5_(x), and/or PCaIL-13_(x).

As used herein, an isolated canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF ligand protein of the present invention (i.e., an canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein, respectively) can be a full-length protein or any homolog of such a protein. An isolated IL-4 protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response against, (or to) an IL4 protein, bind to an IL-4 receptor, stimulate B cell differentiation or activation or stimulate production of immunoglobulin by a B cell. An isolated Flt-3 ligand protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response against a Flt-3 ligand protein, bind to Flt-3 receptor or stimulate Flt-3 receptor-bearing hematopoietic stem cells, early hematopoietic progenitor cells or immature lymphocytes. An isolated CD40 protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response against a CD40 protein, bind to CD154 or stimulate CD154-bearing B cells, T cells, and/or epithelial cells. An isolated CD154 protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response to a CD154 protein, bind to CD40 or stimulate CD40-bearing B cells, T cells, and/or epithelial cells. An isolated IL-5 protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response to an IL-5 protein, bind to an IL-5 receptor, and/or stimulate eosinophils and/or cause thymocytes to product cytotoxic T cells. An isolated IL-13 protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response to an IL-13 protein, bind to an IL-13 receptor, and/or stimulate B cells, up-regulate expression of MHC class II and/or CD23 on monocytes, macrophages and/or B cells; and/or inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines. An isolated interferon alpha protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response to an interferon alpha protein, bind to an interferon-alpha receptor, and/or activate NK cells and/or inhibit viral replication. An isolated GM-CSF protein of the present invention, including a homolog, can be identified in a straight-forward manner by the protein's ability to elicit an immune response to a GM-CSF protein, bind to a GM-CSF receptor, and/or active granulocytes and/or macrophages. Examples of protein homologs of the present invention include immunoregulatory proteins of the present invention in which amino acids have been deleted (e.g., a truncated version of the protein, such as a peptide), inserted, inverted, substituted and/or derivatized (e.g., by glycosylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, myristoylation, prenylation, palmitoylation, amidation and/or addition of glycerophosphatidyl inositol) such that the protein homolog includes at least one epitope capable of eliciting an immune response against the parent protein, of binding to an antibody directed against the parent protein and/or of binding to the parent's receptor, where the term parent refers to the longer and/or full-length protein that the homolog is derived from. That is, when the homolog is administered to an animal as an immunogen, using techniques known to those skilled in the art, the animal will produce an immune response against at least one epitope of an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention, depending upon which protein is administered to an animal. The ability of a protein to effect an immune response can be measured using techniques known to those skilled in the art. As used herein, the term “epitope” refers to the smallest portion of a protein capable of selectively binding to the antigen binding site of an antibody. It is well accepted by those skilled in the art that the minimal size of a protein epitope capable of selectively binding to the antigen binding site of an antibody is about five or six to seven amino acids.

Homologs of immunoregulatory proteins of the present invention can be the result of natural allelic variation, including natural mutation. Protein homologs of the present invention can also be produced using techniques known in the art including, but not limited to, direct modifications to the protein and/or modifications to the gene encoding the protein using, for example, classic or recombinant DNA techniques to effect random or targeted mutagenesis.

Immunoregulatory proteins of the present invention include variants of a full-length protein of a protein of the present invention. Such variants include proteins that are less than full-length. As used herein, variants of the present invention refer to nucleic acid molecules that are naturally-occurring as defined below, and may result from alternative RNA splicing, alternative termination of an amino acid sequence or DNA recombination. Examples of variants include allelic variants as defined below. It is to be noted that a variant is an example of a homolog of the present invention.

Immunoregulatory proteins of the present invention are encoded by nucleic acid molecules of the present invention. As used herein, an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural canine IL-4 gene. As used herein, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural canine Flt-3 ligand gene. As used herein, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural CD40 gene. As used herein, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural CD154 gene. As used herein, an IL-5 nucleic acid molecule includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural IL-5 gene. As used herein, an IL-13 nucleic acid molecule includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural IL-13 gene. As used herein, an IFNα nucleic acid molecule includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural IFNα gene. As used herein, a GM-CSF nucleic acid molecule includes nucleic acid sequences related to a natural GM-CSF gene. As used herein, a canine IL-4, a canine and/or feline CD40, a canine and/or feline Flt3 ligand, a canine and/or feline CD154, a canine IL-5, a canine IL-13, a feline IFNα, and/or a feline GM-CSF gene refers to the natural genomic elements that encode an canine IL-4, a canine and/or feline CD40, a canine and/or feline Flt3 ligand, a canine and/or feline CD154, a canine IL-5, a canine IL-13, a feline IFNα, and/or a feline GM-CSF protein, respectively, and includes all regions such as regulatory regions that control production of the protein encoded by the gene (such as, but not limited to, transcription, translation or post-translation control regions) as well as the coding region itself, and any introns or non-translated coding regions. As used herein, a gene that “includes” or “comprises” a sequence may include that sequence in one contiguous array, or may include the sequence as fragmented exons. As used herein, the term “coding region” refers to a continuous linear array of nucleotides that translates into a protein. A full-length coding region is that region that is translated into a full-length, i.e., a complete, protein as would be initially translated in its natural milieu, prior to any post-translational modifications.

In one embodiment, an IL-4 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:1, as well as the complement of SEQ ID NO:1. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:1 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA (complementary DNA) denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-4₅₄₉, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-4₅₄₉ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of canine IL-4. The complement of SEQ ID NO:1 (represented herein by SEQ ID NO:3) refers to the nucleic acid sequence of the strand fully complementary to the strand having SEQ ID NO:1, which can easily be determined by those skilled in the art. Likewise, a nucleic acid sequence complement of any nucleic acid sequence of the present invention refers to the nucleic acid sequence of the nucleic acid strand that is fully complementary to (i.e., can form a double helix with) the strand for which the sequence is cited. It should be noted that since nucleic acid sequencing technology is not entirely error-free, SEQ ID NO:1 (as well as other nucleic acid and protein sequences presented herein) represents an apparatus nucleic acid sequence of the nucleic acid molecule encoding an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention.

In another embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:6, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:8. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:6 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of canine Flt-3 ligand.

In another embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:43, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:45. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:43 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeFlt3L₉₄₂ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of feline Flt-3 ligand.

In another embodiment, a CD40 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:52, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:54. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:52 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nCaCD40₁₄₂₅ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of canine CD40.

In another embodiment, a CD40 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:60, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:62. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:60 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeCD40₃₃₆, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeCD40₃₃₆ comprises an apparent portion of the coding region of feline CD40.

In another embodiment, a CD154 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:64, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:66. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:64 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaCD154₁₈₇₈, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nCaCD154₁₈₇₈ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of canine CD154.

In another embodiment, a CD154 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:72, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:74. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:72 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeCD154₈₈₅, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeCD154₈₈₅ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of feline CD154.

In another embodiment, an IL-5 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:80, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:82. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:80 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-5₆₁₀, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-5₆₁₀ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of canine IL-5.

In another embodiment, an IL-13 gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:91, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:93. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:91 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of canine IL-13.

In another embodiment, an IFNα gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:107, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:109. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:107 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeIFNα_(567a), the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeIFNα_(567a) comprises an apparently full-length coding region of feline IFNα.

In another embodiment, a GM-CSF gene of the present invention includes the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:119, as well as the complement represented by SEQ ID NO:121. Nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:119 represents the deduced sequence of the coding strand of a cDNA denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nFeGM-CSF₄₄₄, the production of which is disclosed in the Examples. Nucleic acid molecule nFeGM-CSF₄₄₄ comprises an apparently full-length coding region of feline GM-CSF.

Additional immunoregulatory nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention having specific sequence identifiers are described in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Sequence identification numbers (SEQ ID NOs) and their corresponding nucleic acid molecules or proteins. SEQ ID NO DESCRIPTION 1 nCaIL-4₅₄₀ coding strand 2 PCaIL-4₁₃₂ 3 nCaIL-4₅₄₉ complementary strand 4 nCaIL-4₃₉₆ coding strand 5 nCaIL-4₃₉₆ complementary strand 6 nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃ coding strand 7 PCaFlt3L₂₉₄ 8 nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃ complementary strand 9 nCaFlt3L₈₈₂ coding strand 10 nCaFlt3L₈₈₂ complementary strand 19 nCaIL-4₃₂₄ coding strand 20 PCaIL-4₁₀₈ 21 nCaIL-4₃₂₄ complementary strand 22 nCaFlt3L₈₀₄ coding strand 23 PCaFlt3L₂₆₈ 24 nCaFlt3L₈₀₄ complementary strand 25 nCaFlt3L₉₈₅ coding strand 26 PCaFlt3L₂₇₆ 27 nCaFlt3L₉₈₅ complementary strand 28 nCaFlt3L₈₂₈ coding strand 29 nCaFlt3L₈₂₈ complementary strand 30 nCaFlt3L₇₅₀ coding strand 31 PCaFlt3L₂₅₀ 32 nCaFlt3L₇₅₀ complementary strand 33 nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉ coding strand 34 PCaFlt3L₃₁ 35 nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉ complementary strand 36 nCaFlt3l₉₃ coding strand 37 nCaFlt3L₉₃ complementary strand 41 nFeFlt3L₃₉₅ coding strand 42 nFeFlt3L₇₉₃ coding strand 43 nFeFlt3L₉₄₂ coding strand 44 PFeFlt3L₂₉₁ 45 nFeFlt3L₉₄₂ complementary strand 46 nFeFlt3L₈₇₃ coding strand 47 nFeFlt3L₈₇₃ complementary strand 48 nFeFlt3L₇₉₅ coding strand 49 PFeFlt3L₂₆₅ 50 nFeFlt3L₇₉₅ complementary strand 51 nCaCD40₃₂₄ coding strand 52 nCaCD40₁₄₂₅ coding strand 53 PCaCD40₂₇₄ 54 nCaCD40₁₄₂₅ complementary strand 55 nCaCD40₈₂₂ coding strand 56 nCaCD40₈₂₂ complementary strand 57 nCaCD40₇₆₅ coding strand 58 PCaCD40₂₅₅ 59 nCaCD40₇₆₅ complementary strand 60 nFeCD40₃₃₆ coding strand 61 PFeCD40₁₁₂ 62 nFeCD40₃₃₆ complementary strand 63 nCaCD154₃₉₀ coding strand 64 nCaCD154₁₈₇₈ coding strand 65 PCaCD154₂₆₀ 66 nCaCD154₁₈₇₈ complementary strand 67 nCaCD154₇₈₀ coding strand 68 nCaCD154₇₈₀ complementary strand 69 nCaCD154₆₃₃ coding strand 70 PCaCD154₂₁₁ 71 nCaCD154₆₅₃ complementary strand 72 nFeCD154₈₈₅ coding strand 73 PFeCD154₂₆₀ 74 nFeCD154₈₈₅ complementary strand 75 nFeCD154₇₅₀ coding strand 76 nFeCD154₇₅₀ complementary strand 77 nFeCD154₈₃₃ coding strand 78 PFeCD154₄ 79 nFeCD154₈₃₃ complementary strand 80 nCaIL-5₆₁₀ coding strand 81 PCaIL-5₁₃₄ 82 nCaIL-5₆₁₀ complementary strand 83 nCaIL-5₄₀₂ coding strand 84 nIL-5₄₀₂ complementary strand 85 nCaIL-5₃₄₉ coding strand 86 PCaIL-5₁₁₅ 87 nCaIL-5₃₄₅ complementary strand 88 nCaIL-13₁₆₆ coding strand 89 nCaIL-13₂₇₂ coding strand 90 nCaIL-13₂₇₈ coding strand 91 nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂ coding strand 92 PCaIL-13₁₃₁ 93 nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂ complementary strand 94 nCaIL-13₃₉₃ coding strand 95 nCaIL-13₃₉₃ complementary strand 96 nCaIL-13₃₃₃ coding strand 97 PaIL-13₁₁₁ 98 nCaIL-13₃₃₃ complementary strand 99 nCaIL-13₁₂₆₉ coding strand 100 PCaIL-13₁₁₀ 101 nCaIL-13₁₂₆₉ complementary strand 102 nCaIL-13₃₉₀ coding strand 103 nCaIL-13₃₉₀ complementary strand 104 nCaIL-13₃₃₀ coding strand 105 PCaIL-13₁₁₀ 106 nCaIL-13₃₃₀ complementary strand 107 nFeIFNa_(567a) coding strand 108 PFeIFNo_(189a) 109 nFeIFNo_(567a) complementary strand 110 nFeIFNo_(567b) coding strand 111 PFeIFNo_(180b) 112 nFeIFNo_(567b) complementary strand 113 nFeIFNo_(498a) coding strand 114 PFeIFNo_(166a) 115 nFeIFNo_(498a) complementary strand 116 nFeFeIFNO_(498b) coding strand 117 PFeIFNo_(166b) 118 nFeIFNo_(498b) complementary strand 119 nFeGMCSF₄₄₄ coding strand 120 PFeGMCSF₁₆₄ 121 nFeGMCSF₄₄₄ complementary strand 122 nFeGMCSF₄₃₂ coding strand 123 nFeGMCSF₄₃₂ complementary strand 124 nFeGMCSF₃₈₁ coding strand 125 PFeGMCSF₁₂₇ 126 nFeGMCSF₃₈₁ complementary strand

In another embodiment, an IL-4 gene or nucleic acid molecule can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:21, and/or any other IL-4 nucleic acid sequence cited herein. In another embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand gene or nucleic acid molecule can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:50 and/or any other Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid sequence cited herein. In another embodiment, a CD40 gene or nucleic acid molecule can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:62 and/or any other CD40 nucleic acid sequence cited herein. In another embodiment, a CD154 gene or nucleic acid molecule can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:71, SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, SEQ ID NO:79 and/or any other CD154 nucleic acid sequence cited herein. In another embodiment, an IL-5 gene or nucleic acid molecule can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, SEQ ID NO:87 and/or any other IL-5 nucleic acid sequence cited herein. In another embodiment, an IL-13 gene or nucleic acid molecule can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, SEQ ID NO:106 and/or any other IL-13 nucleic acid sequence cited herein. In another embodiment, an IFNα gene or nucleic acid molecule can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:109, SEQ ID NO:110, SEQ ID NO:112, SEQ ID NO:113, SEQ ID NO:115, SEQ ID NO:116, and/or SEQ ID NO:118 and/or any other IFNα nucleic acid sequence cited herein. In another embodiment, a GM-CSF gene or nucleic acid molecule can be an allelic variant that includes a similar but not identical sequence to SEQ ID NO:119, SEQ ID NO:121, SEQ ID NO:122, SEQ ID NO:123, SEQ ID NO:124, and/or SEQ ID NO:126 and/or any other GM-CSF nucleic acid sequence cited herein. An allelic variant of a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF gene, including the particular SEQ ID NO's cited herein, is a gene that occurs at essentially the same locus (or loci) in the genome as the gene including the particular SEQ ID NO's cited herein, but which, due to natural variations caused by, for example, mutation or recombination, has a similar but not identical sequence. Also included in the term allelic variant are allelic variants of cDNAs derived from such genes. Because natural selection typically selects against alterations that affect function, allelic variants usually encode proteins having similar activity to that of the protein encoded by the gene to which they are being compared. Allelic variants of genes or nucleic acid molecules can also comprise alterations in the 5′ or 3′ untranslated regions of the gene (e.g., in regulatory control regions), or can involve alternative splicing of a nascent transcript, thereby brining alternative exons into juxtaposition. Allelic variants are well known to those skilled in the art and would be expected to be found within a given animal, since the respective genomes are diploid, and sexual reproduction will result in the reassortment of alleles.

The minimal size of an canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein homolog of the present invention is a size sufficient to be encoded by a nucleic acid molecule capable of forming a stable hybrid (i.e., hybridize under stringent hybridization conditions) with the complementary sequence of a nucleic acid molecule encoding the corresponding natural protein. Stringent hybridization conditions are determined based on defined physical properties of the gene to which the nucleic acid molecule is being hybridized, and can be defined mathematically. Stringent hybridization conditions are those experimental parameters that allow an individual skilled in the art to identify significant similarities between heterologous nucleic acid molecules. These conditions are well known to those skilled in the art. See, for example, Sambrook, et al., 1989, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Press, and Meinkoth, et al., 1984, Anal. Biochem. 138, 267-284, each of which is incorporated herein by this reference. As explained in detail in the cited references, the determination of hybridization conditions involves the manipulation of a set of variables including the ionic strength (M. in moles/liter), the hybridization temperature (° C.), the concentration of nucleic acid helix destabilizing agents, such as formamide, the average length of the shortest hybrid duplex (n), and the percent G+C composition of the fragment to which an unknown nucleic acid molecule is being hybridized. For nucleic acid molecules of at least about 150 nucleotides, these variables are inserted into a standard mathematical formula to calculate the melting temperature, or T_(m), of a given nucleic acid molecule. As defined in the formula below, T_(m) is the temperature at which two complementary nucleic acid molecule strands will disassociate, assuming 100% complementarity between the two strands: T_(m)=81.5° C.+16.6 log M+0.41(%G+C)−500/n−0.61(%formamide). For nucleic acid molecules smaller than about 50 nucleotides, hybrid stability is defined by the dissociation temperature (T_(d)), which is defined as the temperature at which 50% of the duplexes dissociate. For these smaller molecules, the stability at a standard ionic strength is defined by the following equation: T_(d)=4(G+C)+2(A+T). A temperature of 5° C. below T_(d) is used to detect hybridization between perfectly matched molecules.

Also well known to those skilled in the art is how base pair mismatch, i.e. differences between two nucleic acid molecules being compared, including non-complementarity of bases at a given location, and gaps due to insertion or deletion of one or more bases at a given location on either of the nucleic acid molecules being compared, will affect T_(m) or T_(d) for nucleic acid molecules of different sizes. For example, T_(m) decreases about 1° C. for each 1% of mismatched base pairs for hybrids greater than about 150 bp, and T_(d) decreases about 5° C. for each mismatched base pair for hybrids below about 50 bp. Conditions for hybrids between about 50 and about 150 base pairs can be determined empirically and without undue experimentation using standard laboratory procedures well known to those skilled in the art. These simple procedures allow one skilled in the art to set the hybridization conditions, by altering, for example, the salt concentration, the formamide concentration or the temperature, so that only nucleic acid hybrids with greater than a specified % base pair mismatch will hybridize. Stringent hybridization conditions are commonly understood by those skilled in the art to be those experimental conditions that will allow about 30% base pair mismatch, i.e., about 70% identity. Because one skilled in the art can easily determine whether a given nucleic acid molecule to be tested is less than or greater than about 50 nucleotides, and can therefore choose the appropriate formula for determining hybridization conditions, he or she can determine whether the nucleic acid molecule will hybridize with a given gene or specified nucleic acid molecule under stringent hybridization conditions and similarly whether the nucleic acid molecule will hybridize under conditions designed to allow a desired amount of base pair mismatch.

Hybridization reactions are often carried out by attaching the nucleic acid molecule to be hybridized to a solid support such as a membrane, and then hybridizing with a labeled nucleic acid molecule, typically referred to as a probe, suspended in a hybridization solution. Examples of common hybridization reaction techniques include, but are not limited to, the well-known Souther and northern blotting procedures. Typically, the actual hybridization reaction is done under non-stringent conditions, i.e., at a lower temperature and/or a higher salt concentration, and then high stringency is achieved by washing the membrane in a solution with a higher temperature and/or lower salt concentration in order to achieve the desired stringency.

Preferred portions, or fragments, of a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF, protein of the present invention include at least 15 amino acids, at least 20 amino acids, at least 25 amino acids, at least 30 amino acids, at least 35 amino acids, at least 40 amino acids, at least 45 amino acids, at least 50 amino acids, at least 60 amino acids, at least 75 amino acids or at least 100 amino acids. An IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 protein of the present invention can include at least a portion of an IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 protein that is capable of binding to an IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 receptor, respectively. IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 receptors are known to those of skill in the art, and are described in Janeway et al., in Immunobiology, the Immune System in Health and Disease, Garland Publishing, Inc., NY, 1996 (which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety). The IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 receptor-binding portion of an IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 protein, respectively, can be determined by incubating the protein with an isolated IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 receptor, as appropriate, or a cell having an IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 receptor on its surface, as appropriate, IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 protein binding to purified IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 receptor, respectively, can be determined using methods known in the art including Biacore® screening, confocal immunofluorescent microscopy, immunoprecipitation, gel chromatography, determination of inhibition of binding of antibodies that bind specifically to the IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 binding domain of an IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 receptor. ELISA using an IL-4, IL-5, and/or IL-13 receptor, respectively, labeled with a detectable tag such as an enzyme or chemiluminescent tag or yeast-2 hybrid technology. A Flt-3 ligand protein of the present invention can include at least a portion of a Flt-3 ligand protein that is capable of binding to Flt-3 receptor or stimulating Flt-3 receptor-bearing hematopoietic stem cells, early hematopoietic progenitor cells or immature lymphocytes. Flt-3 receptors are known to those of skill in the art, and are described in Drexler, Leukemia, vol. 10, pp. 588-599, 1996 (which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference). The Flt-3 receptor-binding portion of a Flt-3 ligand protein can be determined by incubating the protein with isolated Flt-3 receptor or a cell having a Flt-3 receptor on its surface. Flt-3 ligand protein binding to purified Flt-3 receptor can be determined using methods known in the art including Biacore® screening, confocal immunofluorescent microscopy, immunoprecipitation, gel chromatography, determination of inhibition of binding of antibodies that bind specifically to the Flt-3 ligand binding domain of a Flt-3 receptor. ELISA using a Flt-3 receptor labeled with a detectable tag such as an enzyme or chemiluminescent tag or yeast-2 hybrid technology. A CD40 and/or CD154 protein of the present invention can include at least a portion of a CD40 and/or CD154 protein that is capable of binding to a CD40 and/or CD154 receptor, respectively, or stimulating CD40 and/or CD154 receptor-bearing hematopoietic stem cells, early hematopoietic progenitor cells or immature lymphocytes. The CD40 and/or CD154 receptor-binding portion of a CD40 and/or CD154 protein can be determined by incubating the protein with isolated CD40 and/or CD154 receptor, as appropriate, or a cell having a CD40 and/or CD154 receptor on its surface, as appropriate. CD40 and/or CD154 protein binding to CD154 and/or CD40, respectively, can be determined using methods known in the art including Biacore® screening, confocal immunofluorescent microscopy, immunoprecipitation, gel chromatography, determination of inhibition of binding of antibodies that bind specifically to the CD40 and/or CD154 binding domain of CD40 and/or CD154, as appropriate, ELISA using a CD40 and/or CD154 labeled with a detectable tag such as an enzyme or chemiluminescent tag or yeast-2 hybrid technology.

The present invention also includes mimetopes of canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF proteins of the present invention. As used herein, a mimetope of an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention refers to any compound that is able to mimic the activity of such a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein, respectively, often because the mimetope has a structure that mimics the particular protein. Mimetopes can be, but are not limited to: peptides that have been modified to decrease their susceptibility to degradation such as all-D retro peptides; anti-idiotypic and/or catalytic antibodies, or fragments thereof; non-proteinaceous immunogenic portions of an isolated protein (e.g., carbohydrate structures); and/or synthetic or natural organic molecules, including nucleic acids. Such mimetopes can be designed using computer-generated structures of proteins of the present invention. Mimetopes can also be obtained by generating random samples of molecules, such as oligonucleotides, peptides or other organic molecules, and screening such samples by affinity chromatography techniques using the corresponding binding partner.

One embodiment of an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention is a fusion protein that includes either a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein-containing domain, each attached to one or more fusion segments. Suitable fusion segments for use with the present invention include, but are not limited to, segments that can: link two or more immunoregulatory proteins of the present invention, to form multimeric forms of an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention; enhance a protein's stability; act as an immunopotentiator to enhance an immune response against an canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein; and/or assist in purification of an canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein (e.g., by affinity chromatography). A suitable fusion segment can be a domain of any size that has the desired function (e.g., imparts increased stability, imparts increased immunogenicity to a protein, and/or simplifies purification of a protein). Fusion segments can be joined to amino and/or carboxyl termini of the IL-4-containing domain, or the Flt-3 ligand-containing domain, or the CD40-containing domain, or the CD154-containing domain, or the IL-5-containing domain, or the IL-13-containing domain, or the IFNα-containing domain, or GM-CSF-containing domain, of a protein and can be susceptible to cleavage in order to enable straight-forward recovery of either canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein, respectively. Fusion proteins are preferably produced by culturing a recombinant cell transformed with a fusion nucleic acid molecule that encodes a protein including the fusion segment attached to either the carboxyl and/or amino terminal end of an canine interleukin-4-, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand-, canine or feline CD40-, canine or feline CD154-, canine interleukin-5-, canine interleukin-13-, feline interferon alpha-, or feline GM-CSF-containing domain. Preferred fusion segments include a metal binding domain (e.g., a poly-histidine segment); an immunoglobulin binding domain (e.g., Protein A; Protein G; T cell; B cell; Fc receptor or complement protein antibody-binding domain); a sugar binding domain (e.g., a maltose binding domain); and/or a “tag” domain (e.g., at least a portion of -galactosidase, a strep tag peptide, a T7 tag peptide, a Flag™ peptide, or other domains that can be purified using compounds that bind to the domain, such as monoclonal antibodies). More preferred fusion segments include metal binding domains, such as a poly-histidine segment; a maltose binding domain; a strep tag peptide, such as that available from Biometra in Tampa, Fla.; and an S10 peptide.

A suitable fusion segment that links one IL-4 protein to another IL-4 protein, or one Flt-3 ligand protein to another Flt-3 ligand protein, or one CD40 protein to another CD40 protein, or one CD154 protein to another CD154 protein, or one IL-5 protein to another IL-5 protein to another IL-5 protein, or one IL-13 protein to another IL-13 protein, or one IFNα protein to another IFNα protein, or one GM-CSF protein to another GM-CSF protein, includes any amino acid sequence that enables such proteins to be linked while maintaining the biological function of either the canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF proteins, respectively. Selection of a suitable linker is dependent upon how many proteins are to be linked to form one multimeric molecule and from where on either the canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF molecule the linker extends. Preferably, a linker fusion segment of the present invention comprises a peptide of from about 6 amino acid residues to about 40 residues, more preferably from about 6 residues to about 30 residues in length.

In another embodiment, an canine interleukin-4, canine or feline, Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein of the present invention also includes at least one additional protein segment that is capable of targeting either canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein, respectively, to a desired cell or receptive molecule. Such a multivalent targeting protein can be produced by culturing a cell transformed with a nucleic acid molecule comprising two or more nucleic acid domains joined together in such a manner that the resulting nucleic acid molecule is expressed as a multivalent targeting protein containing a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein or portion thereof and/or at least one targeting compound capable of delivering the canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein, respectively, to a desired site in an animal.

Examples of multivalent targeting proteins include, but are not limited to, a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein of the present invention attached to one or more compounds that can bind to a receptive molecule on the surface of a cell located in an area of an animal where regulation of an immune response is desired. One of skill in the art can select appropriate targeting fusion segments depending upon the cell or receptive molecule being targeted.

Another example of a multivalent protein of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein of the present invention attached to one or more proteins that are potentially antigenic in mammals. Thus, immunogenicity of the potentially antigenic protein could be enhanced by administering to a mammal together with an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention.

A naturally-occurring variant of a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein of the present invention is preferably isolated from (including isolation of the natural protein or production of the protein by recombinant or synthetic techniques) from mammals, including but not limited to dogs (i.e., canids), cats (i.e., felids), horses (i.e., equids), humans, cattle, chinchillas, ferrets, goats, mice, minks, rabbits, raccoons, rats, sheep, squirrels, swine, chickens, ostriches, quail and/or turkeys as well as other furry animals, pets, zoo animals, work animals and/or food animals. Particularly preferred animals from which to isolate canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF proteins are dogs, cats, horses, and/or humans.

A preferred isolated protein of the present invention is a protein encoded by at least one of the following nucleic acid molecules:nCaIL-4₅₄₉, nCaIL-4₃₉₆, nCaIL-4₃₂₄, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, nCaFlt3L₈₀₄, nCaFlt3L₈₂₈, nCaFlt3L₉₈₅, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉, nCaFlt3L₉₃, nCaFlt3L₇₅₀, nFeFlt3L₃₉₅, nFeFlt3L₇₉₃, nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, nFeFlt3L₈₇₃, nFeFlt3L₇₉₅, nCaCD40₃₂₁, nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, nCaCD40₈₂₂, nCaCD40₇₆₅, nFeCD40₃₃₆, nCaCD154₃₉₀, nCaCD1541₈₇₈, nCaCD154₇₈₀, nCaCD154₆₃₃, nFeCD154₈₈₅, nFeCD154₇₈₀, nFeCD154₆₃₃, nCaIL-5₆₁₀, nCaIL-5₄₀₂, nCaIL-5₃₄₅, nCaIL-13₁₆₆, nCaIL-13₂₇₂, nCaIL-13₂₇₈, nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂, nCaIL-13₃₉₃, nCaIL-13₃₃₃, nCaIL-13₁₂₆₉, nCaIL-13₃₉₀, nCaIL-13₃₃₀, nFeIFNα_(567a), nFeIFNα_(567b), nFeIFNα_(498a), nFeIFNα_(498b), nFeGMCSF₄₄₄, nFeGMCSF₄₃₂, nFeGMCSF₃₈₁ and/or allelic variants of any of these nucleic acid molecules. Also preferred is an isolated protein that is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule the having nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:77, SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:85, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:104, SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:110, SEQ ID NO:113, SEQ ID NO:116, SEQ ID NO:119, SEQ ID NO:122, SEQ ID NO:124; and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:1, the coding strand of nCaIL-4₅₄₉, yields a protein of about 132 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-4₁₃₂, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:2, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 43 through nucleotide 45 of SEQ ID NO:1 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 439 through nucleotide 441 of SEQ ID NO:1.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:6, the coding strand of nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, yields a protein of about 294 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaFlt3L₂₉₄, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:7, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 35 through nucleotide 37 of SEQ ID NO:6 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 917 through nucleotide 919 of SEQ ID NO:6.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:43, the coding strand for nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, yields a protein of about 291 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeFlt3L₂₉₁, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:44, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 31 through nucleotide 33 of SEQ ID NO:43 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 904 through nucleotide 906 of SEQ ID NO:43.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:52, the coding strand for nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, yields a protein of about 274 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaCD40₂₇₄, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:53, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 196 through nucleotide 198 of SEQ ID NO:52 and a stop codon spanning from about nucleotide 1018 through nucleotide 1020 of SEQ ID NO:52.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:60, the coding strand for nFeCD40₃₃₆, yields a protein of about 112 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeCD40₁₁₂, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:61, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 of SEQ ID NO:60.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:64, the coding strand for nCaCD154₁₈₇₈, yields a protein of about 260 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaCD154₂₆₀, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:65, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 284 through nucleotide 286 of SEQ ID NO:64 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 1064 through nucleotide 1066 of SEQ ID NO:64.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:72, the coding strand for nFeCD154₈₈₅, yields a protein of about 260 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeCD154₂₆₀, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:73, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 29 through nucleotide 31 of SEQ ID NO:72, and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 809 through nucleotide 811 of SEQ ID NO:72.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:80, the coding strand for nCaIL-5₆₁₀, yields a protein of about 134 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-5₁₃₄, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:81, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 29 through nucleotide 31 of SEQ ID NO:80, and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 431 through nucleotide 433 of SEQ ID NO:80.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:91, the coding strand for nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂, yields a protein of about 131 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-13₁₃₁, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:92, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 52 through nucleotide 54 of SEQ ID NO:91 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 445 through nucleotide 447 of SEQ ID NO:91.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:107, the coding strand for nFeIFNα_(567a)yields a protein of about 189 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeIFNα_(189a), the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:108, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 and a last codon prior to a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 565 through nucleotide 567 of SEQ ID NO:107.

Translation of SEQ ID NO:119, the coding strand for nFeGMCSF₄₄₄, yields a protein of about 144 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeGMCSF₁₄₄, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:120, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 10 through nucleotide 12 of SEQ ID NO:119 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 442 through nucleotide 444 of SEQ ID NO:119.

Preferred IL-4 proteins of the present invention include proteins that are at least about 85%, preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaIL-4₁₃₂, PCaIL-4₁₀₈, or fragments thereof. Preferred Flt-3 ligand proteins of the present invention include proteins that are at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaFlt3L₂₉₄, PCaFlt3L₂₆₈, PCaFlt3L₂₇₆, PCaFlt3L₂₅₀, PCaFlt3L₃₁, and/or fragments thereof. Additional preferred Flt-3 ligand proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PFeFlt3L₂₉₁, PFeFlt3L₂₆₅ and/or fragments thereof. Preferred CD40 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaCD40₂₇₄, PCaCD40₂₅₅ and/or fragments thereof. Additional preferred CD40 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 60%, at least about 65%, preferably at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PFeCD40₁₁₂ and/or fragments thereof. Preferred CD154 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 80% identical, preferably at least about 85% identical, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaCD154₂₆₀, PCaCD154₂₁₁ and/or fragments thereof. Additional preferred CD154 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 85% identical, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PFeCD154₂₆₀, PFeCD154₂₁₁ and/or fragments thereof. Preferred IL-5 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 85% identical, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaIL-5₁₃₄, PCaIL-5₁₁₅ and/or fragments thereof. Preferred IL-13 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 70% identical, preferably at least about 75% identical, more preferably at least about 80% identical, more preferably at least about 85% identical, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaIL-13₁₃₁, PCaIL-13₁₁₁, PCaIL-13₁₃₀, PCaIL-13110, and/or fragments thereof. Preferred IFNα proteins of the present invention include PFeIFNα_(189a), PFeIFNα_(189b), PFeIFNα_(166a), and/or PFeIFNα_(166b). Preferred GM-CSF proteins of the present invention include PFeGMCSF₁₄₄, and/or PFeGMCSF₁₂₇.

More preferred are IL-4 proteins comprising PCaIL-4₁₃₂, PCaIL-4₁₀₈, and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding proteins PCaIL-4₁₃₂ and/or PCaIL-4₁₀₈. More preferred are Flt-3 ligand proteins comprising PCaFlt3L₂₉₄, PCaFlt3L₂₆₈, PCaFlt3L₂₇₆, PCaFlt3L₂₅₀, PCaFlt3L₃₁, PFeFlt3L₂₉₁, PFeFlt3L₂₆₅ and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding proteins PCaFlt3L₂₉₄, PCaFlt3L₂₆₈, PCaFlt3L₂₇₆, PCaFlt3L₂₅₀, PCaFlt3L₃₁, PFeFlt3L₂₉₁, and/or PFeFlt3L₂₆₅. More preferred are CD40 proteins comprising PCaCD40₂₇₄, PCaCD40₂₅₅, and/or PFeCD40₁₁₂ and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding proteins PCaCD40₂₇₄, PCaCD40₂₅₅, and/or PFeCD40₁₁₂. More preferred are CD154 proteins comprising PCaCD154₂₆₀, PCaCD154₂₁₁, PFeCD154₂₆₀, PFeCD154₂₁₁ and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding one of proteins PCaCD154₂₆₀, PCaCD154₂₁₁, PFeCD154₂₆₀, PFeCD154₂₁₁. More preferred are IL-5 proteins comprising PCaIL-5₁₃₄, PCaIL-5₁₁₅ and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding one of the proteins PCaIL-5₁₃₄ and/or PCaIL-5₁₁₅. More preferred are IL-13 proteins comprising PCaIL-13₁₃₁, PCaIL13₁₁₁, PCaIL-13₁₃₀, PCaIL-13₁₁₀, and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding one of the proteins PCaIL-13₁₃₁, PCaIL-13₁₁₁, PCaIL-13₁₃₀, PCaIL-13₁₁₀.

Also preferred are IL-4 proteins of the present invention having amino acid sequences that are at least about 85%, preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:20 and/or fragments thereof. Also preferred are Flt-3 ligand proteins of the present invention having amino acids sequences that are at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34 and/or fragments thereof. Additional preferred are Flt-3 ligand proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and/or even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:49 and/or fragments thereof. Preferred CD40 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and/or even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:58 and/or fragments thereof. Additional preferred CD40 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 60%, at least about 65%, preferably at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:61 and/or fragments thereof. Preferred CD154 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 80% identical, preferably at least about 85% identical, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:70 and/or fragments thereof. Additional preferred CD154 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 85% identical, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:73, SEQ ID NO:78 and/or fragments thereof. Preferred IL-5 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 85% identical, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:81, SEQ ID NO:86 and/or fragments thereof. Preferred IL-13 proteins of the present invention includes proteins that are at least about 70% identical, preferably at least about 75% identical, more preferably at least about 80% identical, more preferably at least about 85% identical, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, SEQ ID NO:105, and/or fragments thereof. Preferred IFNα proteins of the present invention include SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:ID 11, SEQ ID NO:114, SEQ ID NO:117. Preferred GM-CSF proteins of the present invention include SEQ ID NO:120, SEQ ID NO:125.

More preferred are IL-4 proteins comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:20; and/or IL-4 proteins encoded by allelic variants of nucleic acid molecules encoding IL-4 proteins having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:20. More preferred are Flt-3 ligand proteins comprising SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31 and/or SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:49 and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding proteins SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:44, and/or SEQ ID NO:49. More preferred are CD40 proteins comprising SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:61 and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding proteins SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:58 and/or SEQ ID NO:61. More preferred are CD154 proteins comprising SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:73, SEQ ID NO:78 and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding one of proteins SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:73, and/or SEQ ID NO:78. More preferred are IL-5 proteins comprising SEQ ID NO:81, SEQ ID NO:86 and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding one of the proteins SEQ ID NO:81, and/or SEQ ID NO:86. More preferred are IL-13 proteins comprising SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, SEQ ID NO:105, and/or proteins encoded by allelic variants of a nucleic acid molecule encoding one of the proteins SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105.

Percent identities between amino acid or nucleic acid sequences can be determined using standard methods known to those of skill in the art. It is known in the art that methods to determine the percentage identity and the number of gaps are substantially similar when different methods for determining sequence similarity are used and when the degree of similarity is greater than 30% amino acid identity, as described by Johnson et al., J. Mol. Biol., vol. 233, pages 716-738, 1993, and Feng et al., J. Mol. Evol., vol. 21, pages 112-125, 1985, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Preferred methods to determine percentage identities between amino acid sequences and between nucleic acid sequences include comparisons using various computer programs such as GCG™ program (available from Genetics Computer Group, Madison, Wis.), DNAsis™ program (available from Hitachi Software, San Bruno, Calif.) or the MacVector™ program (available from the Eastman Kodak Company, New Haven, Conn.). Preferred settings for sequence comparisons using the DNAsis™ computer program or the GAP GCG™ program are disclosed herein in the Examples section.

Additional preferred IL-4 proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules comprising at least a portion of nCaIL-4₅₄₉, nCaIL-4₃₉₆, and/or nCaIL-4₃₂₄, as well as IL-4 proteins encoded by allelic variants of such nucleic acid molecules. Additional preferred Flt-3 ligand proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules comprising at least a portion of nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, nCaFlt3L₈₀₄, nCaFlt3L₈₂₈, nCaFlt3L₉₈₅, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉, nCaFlt3L₉₃, nCaFlt3L₇₅₀, nFeFlt3L₃₉₅, nFeFlt3L₇₉₃, nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, nCaFlt3L₈₇₃, and/or nFeFlt3L₇₉₅ as well as Flt-3 ligand proteins encoded by allelic variants of such nucleic acid molecules. Additional preferred CD40 proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules encoding at least a portion of nCaCD40₃₂₁, nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, nCaCD40₈₂₂, nCaCD40₇₆₅, and/or nFeCD40₃₃₆ as well as CD40 proteins encoded by allelic variants of such nucleic acid molecules. Additional preferred CD154 proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules encoding at least a portion of nCaCD154₃₉₀, nCaCD1541₈₇₉, nCaCD154₇₈₀, nCaCD154₆₃₃, nFeCD154₈₈₅, nFeCD154₇₈₀, and/or nFeCD154₆₃₃ as well as CD154 proteins encoded by allelic variants of such nucleic acid molecules. Additional preferred IL-5 proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules encoding at least a portion of nCaIL-5₆₁₀, nCaIL-5₄₀₂, and/or nCaIL-5₃₄₅ as well as IL-5 proteins encoded by allelic variants of such nucleic acid molecules. Additional preferred IL-13 proteins of the present invention include proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules encoding at least a portion of nCaIL-5₆₁₀, nCaIL-5₄₀₂, and/or nCaIL-5₃₄₅ as well as IL-13 proteins encoded by allelic variants of such nucleic acid molecules.

Also preferred are IL-4 proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules having nucleic acid sequences comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:4, and/or SEQ ID NO:19, as well as allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. Also preferred are Flt-3 ligand proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules having nucleic acid sequences comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:46, and/or SEQ ID NO:48, as well as allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. Also preferred are CD40 proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules having nucleic acid sequences comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:57, and/or SEQ ID NO:60, as well as allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. Also preferred are CD154 proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules having nucleic acid sequences comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:75, and/or SEQ ID NO:77, as well as allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. Also preferred are IL-5 proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules having nucleic acid sequences comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:83, and/or SEQ ID NO:85, as well as allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. Also preferred are IL-13 proteins encoded by nucleic acid molecules having nucleic acid sequences comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:102, and/or SEQ ID NO:104, as well as allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecule that includes one or more regulatory regions, full-length or partial coding regions, or combinations thereof. The minimal size of a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is a size sufficient to allow the formation of stable hybrid (i.e., hybridization under stringent hybridization conditions) with the complementary sequence of another nucleic acid molecule. As such, the minimal size of a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is from about 12 to about 18 nucleotides in length.

In accordance with the present invention, an isolated nucleic acid molecule is a nucleic acid molecule that has been removed from its natural milieu (i.e., that has been subjected to human manipulation) and can include DNA, RNA, or derivatives of either DNA or RNA. As such, “isolated” does not reflect the extent to which the nucleic acid molecule has been purified. An isolated canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be isolated from its natural source or produced using recombinant DNA technology (e.g., polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification or cloning) or chemical synthesis. Isolated canine, interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF, nucleic acid molecules can include, for example, natural allelic variants and/or nucleic acid molecules modified by nucleotide insertions, deletions, substitutions, and/or inversions in a manner such that the modifications do not substantially interfere with the nucleic acid molecule's ability to encode an canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF protein of the present invention.

A canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF ligand nucleic acid molecule homolog can be produced using a number of methods known to those skilled in the art, see, for example, Sambrook et al., 1989, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Press: Sambrook et al., ibid., is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. For example, nucleic acid molecules can be modified using a variety of techniques including, but not limited to, classic mutagenesis and recombinant DNA techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, chemical treatment, restriction enzyme cleavage, ligation of nucleic acid fragments, PCR amplification, synthesis of oligonucleotide mixtures and ligation of mixture groups to “build” a mixture of nucleic acid molecules, and combinations thereof. Nucleic acid molecule homologs can be selected by hybridization with either a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecule or by screening the function of a protein encoded by the nucleic acid molecule (e.g., ability to elicit an immune response against at least one epitope of a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein, respectively).

An isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can include a nucleic acid sequence that encodes at least one canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein of the present invention, examples of such proteins being disclosed herein. Although the phrase “nucleic acid molecule” primarily refers to the physical nucleic acid molecule and the phrase “nucleic acid sequence” primarily refers to the sequence of nucleotides on the nucleic acid molecule, the two phrases can be used interchangeably, especially with respect to a nucleic acid molecule, or a nucleic acid sequence, being capable of encoding a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF ligand protein.

A preferred nucleic acid molecule of the present invention, when administered to an animal, is capable of regulating an immune response in an animal. As will be disclosed in more detail below, such a nucleic acid molecule can be, or encode, an antisense RNA, a molecule capable of triple helix formation, a ribozyme, or other nucleic acid-based drug compound. In additional embodiments, a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can encode an immunoregulatory protein (e.g., a cell-bound or soluble protein of the present invention), the nucleic acid molecule being delivered to the animal, for example, by direct injection (i.e. as a genetic vaccine) or in a vehicle such as a recombinant virus vaccine or a recombinant cell vaccine.

One embodiment of the present invention is an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule comprising all or part (i.e., a fragment of the IL-4 nucleic acid molecule) of nucleic acid molecules nCaIL-4₅₄₉, nCaIL-4₃₉₆, and/or nCaIL-4₃₂₄, or allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. One embodiment of the present invention is a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule comprising all or part (i.e., a fragment of the Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule) of nucleic acid molecules nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, nCaFlt3L₈₀₄, nCaFlt3L₈₂₈, nCaFlt3L₉₈₅, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉, nCaFlt3L₉₃, nCaFlt3L₇₅₀, nFeFlt3L₃₉₅, nFeFlt3L₇₉₃, nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, nFeFlt3L₈₇₃, and/or nFeFlt3L₇₉₅ and/or allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. One embodiment of the present invention is a CD40 nucleic acid molecule comprising all or part (i.e., a fragment of the CD40 nucleic acid molecule) of nucleic acid molecules nCaCD40₃₂₁, nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, nCaCD40₈₂₂, nCaCD40₇₆₅, and/or nFeCD40₃₃₆ and/or allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. One embodiment of the present invention is a CD154 nucleic acid molecule comprising all or part of nucleic acid molecules nCaCD154₃₉₀, nCaCD1541₈₇₈nCaCD154₇₈₀, nCaCD154₆₃₃, nFeCD154₈₈₅, nFeCD154₇₈₀, and/or nFeCD154₆₃₃, and/or allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. One embodiment of the present invention is an IL-5 nucleic acid molecule comprising all or part of nucleic acid molecules nCaIL-5₆₁₀, nCaIL-5₄₀₂, and/or nCaIL-5₃₄₅, and/or allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. One embodiment of the present invention is an IL-13 nucleic acid molecule comprising all or part of nucleic acid molecules nCaIL-13₁₆₆, nCaIL13₂₇₂, nCaIL-13₂₇₈, nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂, nCaIL-13₃₉₃, nCaIL-13₃₃₃, nCaIL-13₁₂₆₉, nCaIL-13₃₉₀, and/or nCaIL-13₃₃₀, and/or allelic variants of these nucleic acid molecules. Another preferred nucleic acid molecule of the present invention includes at least a portion of (i.e., a fragment of the nucleic acid molecule) nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:62, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:71, SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, SEQ ID NO:79, SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, SEQ ID NO:106, SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:109, SEQ ID NO:110, SEQ ID NO:112, SEQ ID NO:113, SEQ ID NO:115, SEQ ID NO:116, SEQ ID NO:118, SEQ ID NO:119, SEQ ID NO:121, SEQ ID NO:122, SEQ ID NO:123, SEQ ID NO:124; and/or SEQ ID NO:126, as well as allelic variants of nucleic acid molecules having these nucleic acid sequences. Such nucleic acid molecules can include nucleotides in addition to those included in the SEQ ID NOs, such as, but not limited to, a full-length gene, a full-length coding region, a nucleic acid molecule encoding a fusion protein, and/or a nucleic acid molecule encoding a multivalent therapeutic compound.

One embodiment of an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is a nucleic acid molecule that can be any of the following: (a) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, and/or SEQ ID NO:21 and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 50 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 50 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, and/or SEQ ID NO:21; (b) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, and/or SEQ ID NO:37, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 40 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 40 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, and/or SEQ ID NO:37; (c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, and/or SEQ ID NO:50, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 30 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 30 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, and/or SEQ ID NO:50; (d) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, and/or SEQ ID NO:59, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 40 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 40 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, and/or SEQ ID NO:59; (e) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:60 and/or SEQ ID NO:62 and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 30 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 30 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:60 and/or SEQ ID NO:62; (f) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69 and/or SEQ ID NO:71, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 45 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 45 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, and/or SEQ ID NO:71; (g) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, and/or SEQ ID NO:79, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 35 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 35 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, and/or SEQ ID NO:79; (h) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, and/or SEQ ID NO:87, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 45 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 45 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85 and/or SEQ ID NO:87; (i) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, and/or SEQ ID NO:106, and/or a homolog thereof, wherein said homolog has an at least 15 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 15 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, and/or SEQ ID NO:106; (j) an isolated nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:109, SEQ ID NO:110, SEQ ID NO:112, SEQ ID NO:113, SEQ ID NO:115, SEQ ID NO:116, and/or SEQ ID NO:118, and/or (k) an isolated nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:119, SEQ ID NO:121, SEQ ID NO:122, SEQ ID NO:123, SEQ ID NO:124, and/or SEQ ID NO:126. The phrase, a homolog having an at least “x” contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to an “x” contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:“y”, refers to an “x”-nucleotide in length nucleic acid molecule that is identical in sequence to an “x”-nucleotide portion of SEQ ID NO:“y”, as well as to nucleic acid molecules that are longer in length than “x”. The additional length may be in the form of nucleotides that extend from either the 5′ or the 3′ end(s) of the contiguous identical “x”-nucleotide portion. The 5′ and/or 3′ extensions can include one or more extensions that have no identity to an immunoregulatory molecule of the present invention, as well as extensions that show similarity or identity to cited nucleic acids sequences or portions thereof.

In another embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be any of the following: (a) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-4 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:20 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 20 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:20; (b) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a Flt-3 ligand protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 75 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34, and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 25 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34; (c) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a Flt-3 ligand protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 75 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:44 and/or SEQ ID NO:49 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 25 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:44 and/or SEQ ID NO:49; (d) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CD40 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 70 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and/or SEQ ID NO:58 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 30 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53 and/or SEQ ID NO:58; (e) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CD40 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 60 percent identical to an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:61 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 20 amino acids of an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:61; (f) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CD154 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 80 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:65 and/or SEQ ID NO:70, and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 35 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:65 and/or SEQ ID NO:70; (g) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a CD154 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:73 and/or SEQ ID NO:78, and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 50 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:73 and/or SEQ ID NO:78; (h) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-5 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:81 and/or SEQ ID NO:86 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 20 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:81 and/or SEQ ID NO:86; (i) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IL-13 protein selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 70 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105 and/or (ii) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 15 amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105; (j) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an interferon alpha protein having an amino acid sequence that is selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:111, SEQ ID NO:114, and/or SEQ ID NO:117, (k) a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence encoding a GMCSF protein having an amino acid sequence that is selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:120, SEQ ID NO:126 and/or (l) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a complement of any of the before-mentioned nucleic acid sequences, wherein said IL-4 protein elicits an immune response against an IL-4 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:20 and/or is a protein with interleukin-4 activity, said Flt-3 ligand protein elicits an immune response against a Flt-3 ligand protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:44, and/or SEQ ID NO:49 and/or is a protein with Flt-3 ligand activity, said CD40 protein elicits an immune response against a CD40 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:58, and/or SEQ ID NO:61 and/or is a protein with CD40 activity, said CD154 protein elicits an immune response against a CD154 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:73, and/or SEQ ID NO:78 and/or is a protein with CD154 activity, said IL-5 protein elicits an immune response against a IL-5 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:81 and/or SEQ ID NO:86 and/or is a protein with IL-5 activity, said IL-13 protein elicits an immune response against an IL 13 protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:97, SEQ ID NO:100, and/or SEQ ID NO:105 and/or is a protein with IL-13 activity, said interferon alpha protein elicits an immune response against an interferon alpha protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:108, SEQ ID NO:111, SEQ ID NO:114, and/or SEQ ID NO:117 and/or is a protein with interferon alpha activity, and said GMCSF protein elicits an immune response against a GMCSF protein selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:120 and/or SEQ ID NO:125 and/or is a protein with GM-CSF activity.

In one embodiment, an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about 85%, preferably at least about 90%, preferably at least about 92%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaIL-4₁₃₂ and/or PCaIL-4₁₀₈ In one embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaFlt3L₂₉₄, PCaFlt3L₂₆₈, PCaFlt3L₂₇₆, PCaFlt3L₂₅₀, and/or PCaFlt3L₃₁. In one embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PFeFlt3L₂₉₁, and/or PFeFlt3L₂₆₅. In one embodiment, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about PCaCD40₂₇₄, and/or PCaCD40₂₅₅. In one embodiment, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about 60%, preferably at least about 65%, preferably at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PFeCD40₁₁₂. In one embodiment, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about 80%, at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaCD154₂₆₀, and/or PCaCD154₂₁₁. In one embodiment, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PFeCD154₂₆₀, PFeCD154₂₁₁. In one embodiment, an IL-5 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaIL-5₁₃₄, and/or PCaIL-5₁₁₅. In one embodiment, an IL-13 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein that is at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to PCaIL-13₁₃₁, PCaIL-13₁₁₁, PCaIL-13₁₃₀, PCaIL-13₁₁₀. Even more preferred is a nucleic acid molecule encoding PCaIL-4₁₃₂, PCaIL-4₁₀₈, PCaFlt3L₂₉₄, PCaFlt3L₂₆₈, PCaFlt3L₂₇₆, PCaFlt3L₂₅₀, PCaFlt3L₃₁, PFeFlt3L₂₉₁, PFeFlt3L₂₆₅, PCaCD40₂₇₄, PCaCD40₂₅₅, PFeCD40₁₁₂, PCaCD154₂₆₀, PCaCD154₂₁₁, PFeCD154₂₆₀, PFeCD154₂₁₁, PCaIL-5₁₃₄, PCaIL-5₁₁₅, PCaIL-13₁₃₁, PCaIL-13₁₁₁, PCaIL-13₁₃₀, PCaIL-13₁₁₀ and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule.

In another embodiment, an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85%, preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:20. The present invention also includes an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:2, and/or SEQ ID NO:20, as well as allelic variants of an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34. The present invention also includes a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:31, and/or SEQ ID NO:34, as well as allelic variants of a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:44, and/or SEQ ID NO:49. The present invention also includes a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:44, and/or SEQ ID NO:49, as well as allelic variants of a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:53 and/or SEQ ID NO:58. The present invention also includes a CD40 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:53 and/or SEQ ID NO:58, as well as allelic variants of a CD40 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 60%, preferably at least about 65%, preferably at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, even more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85%, even more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:60. The present invention also includes a CD40 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:60, as well as allelic variants of a CD40 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about at least about 80%, at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:67, and/or SEQ ID NO:69. The present invention also includes a CD154 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:67, and/or SEQ ID NO:69, as well as allelic variants of a CD154 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:75, and/or SEQ ID NO:77. The present invention also includes a CD154 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:75, and/or SEQ ID NO:77, as well as allelic variants of a CD154 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, an IL-5 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about at least about 85%, at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:83, and/or SEQ ID NO:85. The present invention also includes an IL-5 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:83, and/or SEQ ID NO:85, as well as allelic variants of an IL-5 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, an IL-13 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90%, and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:102, and/or SEQ ID NO:104. The present invention also includes an IL-13 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:102, and/or SEQ ID NO:104, as well as allelic variants of an IL-13 nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having these sequences, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is at least about 90%, and preferably at least about 95% identical to nCaIL-4₅₄₉. Even more preferred is a nucleic acid molecule comprising nCaIL4₅₄₉, nCaIL-4₃₉₆, nCaIL-4₃₂₄, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule. In another embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃. Even more preferred is a nucleic acid molecule comprising nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, nCaFlt3L₈₀₄, nCaFlt3L₈₂₈, nCaFlt3L₉₈₅, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉, nCaFlt3L₉₃, and/or nCaFlt3L₇₅₀, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule. In one embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to nFeFlt3L₉₄₂. Even more preferred is a nucleic acid molecule comprising nFeFlt3L₃₉₅, nFeFlt3L₇₉₃, nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, nFeFlt3L₈₇₃, and/or nFeFlt3L₇₉₅, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule. In one embodiment, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is at least about 70%, at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to nCaCD40₃₂₁, nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, nCaCD40₈₂₂, and/or nCaCD40₇₆₅, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule. In one embodiment, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is at least about 70%, at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to nFeCD40₃₃₆, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule. In one embodiment, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is at least about 85%, preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to nCaCD154₃₉₀, nCaCD1541₈₇₈, nCaCD154₇₈₀, CaCD154₆₃₃, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule. In one embodiment, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is at least about 91%, and preferably about 95% identical to nFeCD154₈₈₅, nFeCD154₇₈₀, and/or nFeCD154₆₃₃, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule. In one embodiment, an IL-5 molecule of the present invention is at least about 90% and preferably at least about 95% identical to nCaIL-5₆₁₀, nCaIL-5₄₀₂, and/or nCaIL-5₃₄5, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule. In another embodiment, an IL-13 molecule of the present invention is at least about 65%, at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to nCaIL-13₁₆₆, nCaIL-13₂₇₂, nCaIL-13₂₇₈, nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂, nCaIL13₃₉₃, nCaIL-13₃₃₃, nCaIL13₁₂₆₉, nCaIL-13₃₉₀, and/or nCaIL13₃₃₀, and/or an allelic variant of such a nucleic acid molecule.

In another embodiment, an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 90%, and preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, and/or SEQ ID NO:21. The present invention also includes an IL-4 nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:19, and/or SEQ ID NO:21, as well as allelic variants of such IL4 nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In another embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 75%, preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, and/or SEQ ID NO:37. The present invention also includes a Flt-3 ligand- nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, and/or SEQ ID NO:37, as well as allelic variants of such Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, and/or SEQ ID NO:50. The present invention also includes a Flt-3 ligand- nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, and/or SEQ ID NO:50, as well as allelic variants of such Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 70%, at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, and/or SEQ ID NO:59. The present invention also includes a CD40 nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, and/or SEQ ID NO:59, as well as allelic variants of such CD40 nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, a CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 70%, at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:60 and/or SEQ ID NO:62. The present invention also includes a CD40 nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:60 and/or SEQ ID NO:62, as well as allelic variants of such CD40 nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 85%, preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, and/or SEQ ID NO:71. The present invention also includes a CD154 nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, and/or SEQ ID NO:71, as well as allelic variants of such CD154 nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, a CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 91%, and preferably about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, and/or SEQ ID NO:79. The present invention also includes a CD154 nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:74, SEQ ID NO:75, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:77, and/or SEQ ID NO:79, as well as allelic variants of such CD154 nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, an IL-5 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 90% and preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, and/or SEQ ID NO:87. The present invention also includes an IL-5 nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:82, SEQ ID NO:83, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, and/or SEQ ID NO:87, as well as allelic variants of such IL-5 nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, an IL-13 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least about 65%, at least about 70%, preferably at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 85%, more preferably at least about 90% and even more preferably at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, and/or SEQ ID NO:106. The present invention also includes an IL-13 nucleic acid molecule comprising at least a portion of SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:93, SEQ ID NO:94, SEQ ID NO:95, SEQ ID NO:96, SEQ ID NO:98, SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:101, SEQ ID NO:102, SEQ ID NO:103, SEQ ID NO:104, and/or SEQ ID NO:106, as well as allelic variants of such IL-13 nucleic acid molecules, including nucleic acid molecules that have been modified to accommodate codon usage properties of the cells in which such nucleic acid molecules are to be expressed.

In one embodiment, an IFNα nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is identical to SEQ ID NO:107, SEQ ID NO:109, SEQ ID NO:110, SEQ ID NO:112, SEQ ID NO:113, SEQ ID NO:115, SEQ ID NO:116, and/or SEQ ID NO:118.

In another embodiment, a GM-CSF nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is identical to SEQ ID NO:119, SEQ ID NO:121, SEQ ID NO:122, SEQ ID NO:123, SEQ ID NO:124, and/or SEQ ID NO:126.

Knowing the nucleic acid sequences of certain immunoregulatory nucleic acid molecules of the present invention allows one skilled in the art to, for example, (a) make copies of those nucleic acid molecules, (b) obtain nucleic acid molecules including at least a portion of such nucleic acid molecules (e.g., nucleic acid molecules including full-length genes, full-length coding regions, regulatory control sequences, truncated coding regions), and/or (c) obtain other immunoregulatory nucleic acid molecules. Such nucleic acid molecules can be obtained in a variety of ways including screening appropriate expression libraries with antibodies of the present invention; traditional cloning techniques using oligonucleotide probes of the present invention to screen appropriate libraries; and PCR amplification of appropriate libraries or DNA using oligonucleotide primers of the present invention. Preferred libraries to screen or from which to amplify nucleic acid molecules include mammalian cDNA libraries as well as genomic DNA libraries. Similarly, preferred DNA sources from which to amplify nucleic acid molecules include mammalian cDNA and genomic DNA. Techniques to clone and amplify genes are disclosed, for example, in Sambrook et al., ibid.

The present invention also includes nucleic acid molecules that are oligonucleotides capable of hybridizing, under stringent hybridization conditions, with complementary regions of other, preferably longer, nucleic acid molecules of the present invention such as those comprising canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules. Oligonucleotides of the present invention can be RNA, DNA, or derivatives of either. The minimum size of such oligonucleotides in the size required for formation of a stable hybrid between an oligonucleotide and a complementary sequence on a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention. A preferred oligonucleotide of the present invention has a maximum size of about 100 nucleotides. The present invention includes oligonucleotides that can be used as, for example, probes to identify nucleic acid molecules, primers to produce nucleic acid molecules, or therapeutic reagents to inhibit canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein production or activity (e.g., as antisense-, triplex formation-, ribozyme- and/or RNA drug-based reagents). The present invention also includes the use of such oligonucleotides to protect animals from disease using one or more of such technologies. Appropriate oligonucleotide-containing therapeutic compositions can be administered to an animal using techniques known to those skilled in the art.

One embodiment of the present invention includes a recombinant vector, which includes at least one isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention, inserted into any vector capable of delivering the nucleic acid molecule into a host cell. Such a vector contains heterologous nucleic acid sequences, that is nucleic acid sequences that are not naturally found adjacent to nucleic acid molecules of the present invention and that preferably are derived from a species other than the species from which the nucleic acid molecule(s) are derived. The vector can be either RNA or DNA, either prokaryotic or eukaryotic, and typically is a virus or a plasmid. Recombinant vectors can be used in the cloning, sequencing, and/or otherwise manipulating immunoregulatory nucleic acid molecules of the present invention.

One type of recombinant vector, referred to herein as a recombinant molecule, comprises a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention operatively linked to an expression vector. The phrase operatively linked refers to insertion of a nucleic acid molecule into an expression vector in a manner such that the molecule is able to be expressed when transformed into a host cell. As used herein, an expression vector is a DNA or RNA vector that is capable of transforming a host cell and of effecting expression of a specific nucleic acid molecule. Preferably, the expression vector is also capable of replicating within the host cell. Expression vectors can be either prokaryotic or eukaryotic, and are typically viruses or plasmids. Expression vectors of the present invention include any vectors that function (i.e., direct gene expression) in recombinant cells of the present invention, including in bacterial, fungal, parasite, insect, other animal, and plant cells. Preferred expression vectors of the present invention can direct gene expression in bacterial, yeast, insect and mammalian cells, and more preferably in the cell types disclosed herein, more preferably in vivo.

In particular, expression vectors of the present invention contain regulatory sequences such as transcription control sequences, translation control sequences, origins of replication, and other regulatory sequences that are compatible with the recombinant cell and that control the expression of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention. In particular, recombinant molecules of the present invention include transcription control sequences. Transcription control sequences are sequences which control the initiation, elongation, and termination of transcription. Particularly important transcription control sequences are those which control transcription initiation, such as promoter, enhancer, operator and repressor sequences. Suitable transcription control sequences include any transcription control sequence that can function in at least one of the recombinant cells of the present invention. A variety of such transcription control sequences are known to those skilled in the art. Preferred transcription control sequences include those which function in bacterial, yeast, helminth and/or other endoparasite, insect and mammalian cells, such as, but not limited to, tac, lac, trp, trc, oxy-pro, omp/lpp, rrnB, bacteriophage lambda (such as lambda p_(L) and lambda p_(R) and fusions that include such promoters), bacteriophage T7, T7lac, bacteriophage T3, bacteriophage SP6, bacteriophage SPO1, metallothionein, alpha-mating factor, Pichia alcohol oxidase, alphavirus subgenomic promoter, antibiotic resistance gene, baculovirus. Heliothis zea insect virus, vaccinia virus, herpesvirus, raccoon poxvirus, other poxvirus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus (such as immediate early promoter), simian virus 40, retrovirus, actin, retroviral long terminal repeat. Rous sarcoma virus, heat shock, phosphate and nitrate transcription control sequences as well as other sequences capable of controlling gene expression in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. Additional suitable transcription control sequences include tissue-specific promoters and enhancers as well as lymphokine-inducible promoters (e.g., promoters inducible by interferons or interleukins). Transcription control sequences of the present invention can also include naturally occurring transcription control sequences naturally associated with mammals, such as dog, cat, horse or human transcription control sequences.

Suitable and preferred nucleic acid molecules to include in recombinant vectors of the present invention are as disclosed herein. Preferred nucleic acid molecules to include in recombinant vectors, and particularly in recombinant molecules, include nCaIL-4₅₄₉, nCaIL-4₃₉₆, nCaIL-4₃₂₄, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, nCaFlt3L₈₀₄, nCaFlt3L₈₂₈, nCaFlt3L₉₈₅, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉, nCaFlt3L₉₃, nCaFlt3L₇₅₀, nFeFlt3L₃₉₅, nFeFlt3L₇₉₃, nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, nFeFlt3L₈₇₃, nFeFlt3L₇₉₅, nCaCD40₃₂₁, nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, nCaCD40₈₂₂, nCaCD40₇₆₅, nFeCD40₃₃₆, nCaCD154₃₉₀, nCaCD1541₈₇₈, nCaCD154₇₈₀, nCaCD154₆₃₃, nFeCD154₈₈₅, nFeCD154₇₈₀, nFeCD154₆₃₃, nCaIL-5₆₁₀, nCaIL-5₄₀₂, nCaIL-5₃₄₅, nCaIL-13₁₆₆, nCaIL-13₂₇₂, nCaIL-13₂₇₈, nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂, nCaIL-13₃₉₃, nCaIL-13₃₃₃, nCaIL-13₁₂₆₉, nCaIL-13₃₉₀, nCaIL-13₃₃₀, nFeIFNα_(567a), nFeIFNα_(567b), nFeIFNα_(498a), nFeIFNα4_(98b), nFeGMCSF₄₄₄, nFeGMCSF₄₃₂, and/or nFeGMCSF₃₈₁.

Recombinant molecules of the present invention may also (a) contain secretory signals (i.e., signal segment nucleic acid sequences) to enable an expressed parasitic helminth protein of the present invention to be secreted from the cell that produces the protein and/or (b) contain fusion sequences which lead to the expression of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention as fusion proteins. Examples of suitable signal segments include any signal segment capable of directing the secretion of a protein of the present invention. Preferred signal segments include, but are not limited to, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), interferon, interleukin, growth hormone, histocompatibility and viral envelope glycoprotein signal segments. Suitable fusion segments encoded by fusion segment nucleic acids are disclosed herein. In addition, a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be joined to a fusion segment that directs the encoded protein to the proteosome, such as a ubiquitin fusion segment. Eukaryotic recombinant molecules may also include intervening and/or untranslated sequences surrounding and/or within the nucleic acid sequences of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes a recombinant cell comprising a host cell transformed with one or more recombinant molecules of the present invention. Transformation of a nucleic acid molecule into a cell can be accomplished by any method by which a nucleic acid molecule can be inserted into the cell. Transformation techniques include, but are not limited to, transfection, electroporation, microinjection, lipofection, adsorption, and protoplast fusion. A recombinant cell may remain unicellular or may grow into a tissue, organ or a multicellular organism. Transformed nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can remain extrachromosomal or can integrate into one or more sites within a chromosome of the transformed (i.e., recombinant) cell in such a manner that their ability to be expressed is retained. Preferred nucleic acid molecules with which to transform a cell include immunoregulatory nucleic acid molecules of the present invention disclosed herein. Particularly preferred nucleic acid molecules with which to transform a cell include nCaIL-4₅₄₉, nCaIL-4₃₉₆, nCaIL-4₃₂₄, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, nCaFlt3L₈₀₄, nCaFlt3L₈₂₈, nCaFlt3L₉₈₅, nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉, nCaFlt3L₉₃, nCaFlt3L₇₅₀, nFeFlt3L₃₉₅, nFeFlt3L₇₉₃, nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, nFeFlt3L₈₇₃, nFeFlt3L₇₉₅, nCaCD40₃₂₁, nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, nCaCD40₈₂₂, nCaCD40₇₆₅, nFeCD40₃₃₆, nCaCD154₃₉₀, nCaCD1541₈₇₈, nCaCD154₇₈₀, nCaCD154₆₃₃, nFeCD154₈₈₅, nFeCD154₇₈₀, nFeCD154₆₃₃, nCaIL-5₆₁₀, nCaIL-5₄₀₂, nCaIL-5₃₄₅, nCaIL-13₁₆₆, nCaIL-13₂₇₂, nCaIL-13₂₇₈, nCaIL13₁₃₀₂, nCaIL-13₃₉₃, nCaIL-13₃₃₃, nCaIL13₁₂₆₉, nCaIL-13₃₉₀, nCaIL-13₃₃₀, nFeIFNα_(567a), nFeIFNα_(567b), nFeIFNα_(498a), nFeIFNα4_(98b), nFeGMCSF₄₄₄, nFeGMCSF₄₃₂, and/or nFeGMCSF₃₈₁.

Suitable host cells to transform include any cell that can be transformed with a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention. Host cells can be either untransformed cells or cells that are already transformed with at least one nucleic acid molecule (e.g., nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more proteins of the present invention and/or other proteins useful in the production of multivalent vaccines). Host cells of the present invention either can be endogenously (i.e., naturally) capable of producing immunoregulatory proteins of the present invention or can be capable of producing such proteins after being transformed with at least one nucleic acid molecule of the present invention. Host cells of the present invention can be any cell capable of producing at least one protein of the present invention, and include bacterial, fungal (including yeast), parasite (including helminth, protozoa and ectoparasite), other insect, other animal and plant cells. Preferred host cells include bacterial, mycobacterial, yeast, helminth, insect and mammalian cells. More preferred host cells include Salmonella, Escherichia, Bacillus, Listeria, Saccharomyces, Spodoptera, Mycobacteria, Trichoplusia, BHK (baby hamster kidney) cells, MDCK cells (Madin-Darby canine kidney cell line), CRFK cells (Crandell feline kidney cell line), CV-1 cells (African monkey kidney cell line used, for example, to culture racoon poxvirus), COS (e.g., COS-7) cells, chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, Ltk cells and Vero cells. Particularly preferred host cells are Escherichia coli, including E. coli K-12 derivatives; Salmonella typhi; Salmonella typhimurium, including attenuated strains such as UK-1 ₀3987 and SR-11 ₀4072; Spodoptera frugiperda; Trichoplusia ni; BHK cells; MDCK cells; CRFK cells; CV-1 cells; COS cells; Vero cells; and non-tumorigenic mouse myoblast G8 cells (e.g., ATCC CRL 1246). Additional appropriate mammalian cell hosts include other kidney cell lines, other fibroblast cell lines (e.g., human, murine or chicken embryo fibroblast cell lines), myeloma cell lines. Chinese hamster ovary cells, mouse NIH/3T3 cells, LMTK³¹ cells and/or HeLa cells. In one embodiment, the proteins may be expressed as heterologous proteins in myeloma cell lines employing immunoglobulin promoters.

A recombinant cell is preferably produced by transforming a host cell with one or more recombinant molecules, each comprising one or more nucleic acid molecules of the present invention operatively linked to an expression vector containing one or more transcription control sequences, examples of which are disclosed herein.

A recombinant cell of the present invention includes any cell transformed with at least one of any nucleic acid molecule of the present invention. Suitable and preferred nucleic acid molecules as well as suitable and preferred recombinant molecules with which to transfer cells are disclosed herein.

Recombinant cells of the present invention can also be co-transformed with one or more recombinant molecules including any of canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecule encoding one or more proteins of the present invention and/or one or more other nucleic acid molecules encoding other therapeutic compounds, as disclosed herein (e.g., to produce multivalent vaccines).

Recombinant DNA technologies can be used to improve expression of transformed nucleic acid molecules by manipulating, for example, the number of copies of the nucleic acid molecules within a host cell, the efficiency with which those nucleic acid molecules are transcribed, the efficiency with which the resultant transcripts are translated, and the efficiency of post-translational modifications. Recombinant techniques useful for increasing the expression of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention include, but are not limited to, operatively linking nucleic acid molecules to high-copy number plasmids, integration of the nucleic acid molecules into one or more host cell chromosomes, addition of vector stability sequences to plasmids, substitutions or modifications of transcription control signals (e.g., promoters, operators, enhancers), substitutions or modifications of translational control signals (e.g., ribosome binding sites, Shine-Dalgamo sequences), modification of nucleic acid molecules of the present invention to correspond to the codon usage of the host cell, deletion of sequences that destabilize transcripts, and use of control signals that temporally separate recombinant cell growth from recombinant enzyme production during fermentation. The activity of an expressed recombinant protein of the present invention may be improved by fragmenting, modifying, or derivatizing nucleic acid molecules encoding such a protein.

Isolated immunoregulatory proteins of the present invention can be produced in a variety of ways, including production and/or recovery of natural proteins, production and/or recovery of recombinant proteins, and/or chemical synthesis of the proteins. In one embodiment, an isolated protein of the present invention is produced by culturing a cell capable of expressing the protein under conditions effective to produce the protein, and recovering the protein. A preferred cell to culture is a recombinant cell of the present invention. Effective culture conditions include, but are not limited to, effective media, bioreactor, temperature, pH and oxygen conditions that permit protein production. An effective medium refers to any medium in which a cell is cultured to produce an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention. Such medium typically comprises an aqueous medium having assimilable carbon, nitrogen and phosphate sources, and appropriate salts, minerals, metals and other nutrients, such as vitamins. Cells of the present invention can be cultured in conventional fermentation bioreactors, shake flasks, test tubes, microtiter dishes, and petri plates. Culturing can be carried out at a temperature, pH and oxygen content appropriate for a recombinant cell. Such culturing conditions are within the expertise of one of ordinary skill in the art.

Depending on the vector and host system used for production, resultant proteins of the present invention may either remain within the recombinant cell; be secreted into the fermentation medium; be secreted into a space between two cellular membranes, such as the periplasmic space in E. coli; or be retained on the outer surface of a cell or viral membrane.

The phrase “recovering the protein”, as well as similar phrases, refers to collecting the whole fermentation medium containing the protein and need not imply additional steps of separation or purification. Proteins of the present invention can be purified using a variety of standard protein purification techniques, such as, but not limited to, affinity chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, filtration, electrophoresis, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, reverse phase chromatography, concanavalin A chromatography, chromatofocusing and/or differential solubilization. Proteins of the present invention are preferably retrieved in “substantially pure” form. As used herein, “substantially pure” refers to a purity that allows for the effective use of the protein as a therapeutic composition or diagnostic. A therapeutic composition for animals, for example, should exhibit no substantial toxicity and preferably should be capable of stimulating the production of antibodies in a treated animal.

The present invention also includes isolated (i.e., removed from their natural milieu) antibodies that selectively bind to an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention and/ora mimetope thereof (e.g., anti-IL-4 antibodies, anti-Flt-3 ligand antibodies, anti-CD40 antibodies, anti-CD154 antibodies, anti-IL-5 antibodies, anti-IL-13 antibodies, anti-IFNα antibodies, and/or anti-GM-CSF antibodies). As used herein, the term “selectively binds to” an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention, refers to the ability of antibodies of the present invention to preferentially bind to specified proteins and/or mimetopes thereof of the present invention. Binding can be measured using a variety of methods standard in the art including enzyme immunoassays (e.g., ELISA), immunoblot assays, etc.; see, for example, Sambrook et al., ibid., and Harlow, et al., 1988, Antibodies, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Labs Press; Harlow et al., ibid., is incorporated by this reference herein in its entirety. An anti-IL-4 antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to an IL-4 protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein. An anti-Flt-3 ligand antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to a Flt-3 ligand- protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein. An anti-CD40 antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to a CD40 protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein. An anti-CD154 antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to a CD154 protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein. An anti-IL-5 antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to an IL-5 protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein. An anti-IL-13 antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to an IL-13 protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein. An anti-IFNα antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to an IFNα protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein. An anti-GM-CSF antibody of the present invention preferably selectively binds to a GM-CSF protein in such a way as to inhibit the function of that protein.

Isolated antibodies of the present invention can include antibodies in serum, or antibodies that have been purified to varying degrees. Antibodies of the present invention can be polyclonal or monoclonal, or can be functional equivalents such as antibody fragments and/or genetically-engineered antibodies, including single chain antibodies or chimeric antibodies that can bind to one or more epitopes.

A preferred method to produce antibodies of the present invention includes (a) administering to an animal an effective amount of a protein, peptide and/ormimetope thereof of the present invention to produce the antibodies and (b) recovering the antibodies. In another method, antibodies of the present invention are produced recombinantly using techniques as heretofore disclosed to produce any of the immunoregulatory proteins of the present invention. Antibodies raised against defined proteins or mimetopes can be advantageous because such antibodies are not substantially contaminated with antibodies against other substances that might otherwise cause interference in a diagnostic assay or side effects if used in a therapeutic composition.

Antibodies of the present invention have a variety of potential uses that are within the scope of the present invention. For example, such antibodies can be used (a) as reagents in assays to detect an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention, (b) as reagents in assays to modulate cellular activity through an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention (e.g., mimicking ligand binding to a canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, or feline GM-CSF protein, as appropriate), and/or (c) as tools to screen expression libraries and/or to recover desired proteins of the present invention from a mixture of proteins and other contaminants. Furthermore, antibodies of the present invention can be used to target compounds (e.g., nucleic acid molecules, drugs or proteins) to antigen presenting cells. Targeting can be accomplished by conjugating (i.e., stably joining) such antibodies to the compounds using techniques known to those skilled in the art. Suitable compounds are known to those skilled in the art.

One embodiment of the present invention is a therapeutic composition that, when administered to an animal in an effective manner, is capable of regulating an immune response in an animal. Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can include at least one of the following therapeutic compounds: an isolated IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF protein of the present invention and/or a mimetope thereof; an isolated IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF nucleic acid molecule of the present invention; an isolated antibody that selectively binds to an IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF protein of the present invention; an inhibitor of canine IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF function identified by its ability to bind to an IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF protein, respectively, of the present invention; such an inhibitor can inhibit binding of the respective immunoregulatory protein with its respective receptor, or inhibit the activity the respective protein. Methods to perform such assays to measure binding and/or activity of an immunoregulatory protein of the present invention are known to those of skill in the art, and are described, for example, in Janeway et al., ibid. As used herein, a therapeutic compound refers to a compound that, when administered to an animal in an effective manner, is able to treat, ameliorate, and/or prevent a disease. Examples of proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitors of the present invention are disclosed herein.

The present invention also includes a therapeutic composition comprising at least one IL-4-, Flt-3 ligand-, CD40-, CD154-, IL-5-, IL-13-, IFNα-, and/or GM-CSF-based compound of the present invention in combination with at least one additional therapeutic compound. Examples of such compounds are disclosed herein.

Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can be administered to any animal susceptible to such therapy, preferably to mammals, and more preferably to dogs, cats, humans, ferrets, horses, cattle, sheep and/or other pets, economic food animals and/or zoo animals. Preferred animals include dogs, cats, horses and/or humans.

A therapeutic composition of the present invention is administered to an animal in an effective manner such that the composition is capable of regulating an immune response in that animal. Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can be administered to animals prior to onset of a disease (i.e., as a preventative vaccine) and/or can be administered to animals after onset of a disease in order to treat the disease (i.e., as a therapeutic vaccine). Preferred diseases to prevent and/or treat include autoimmune diseases, allergic reactions, infectious diseases, tumor development, inflammatory diseases and/or graft rejection. In one embodiment, a therapeutic composition of the present invention is administered with an antigen to enhance an immune response against that antigen.

Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can be formulated in an excipient that the animal to be treated can tolerate. Examples of such excipients include water, saline, Ringer's solution, dextrose solution, Hank's solution, and/or other aqueous physiologically balanced salt solutions. Non-aqueous vehicles, such as fixed oils, sesame oil, ethyl oleate, or triglycerides may also be used. Other useful formulations include suspensions containing viscosity enhancing agents, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose, sorbitol, or dextran. Excipients can also contain minor amounts of additives, such as substances that enhance isotonicity and chemical stability. Examples of buffers include phosphate buffer, bicarbonate buffer and/or Tris buffer, while examples of preservatives include thimerosal, o-cresol, formalin and/or benzyl alcohol. Standard formulations can either be liquid injectables or solids which can be taken up in a suitable liquid as a suspension or solution for injection. Thus, in a non-liquid formulation, the excipient can comprise dextrose, human serum albumin, preservatives, etc., to which sterile water or saline can be added prior to administration.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a therapeutic composition can include an adjuvant. Adjuvants are agents that are capable of enhancing the immune response of an animal to a specific antigen. Suitable adjuvants include, but are not limited to, cytokines, chemokines, and/or compounds that induce the production of cytokines and/or chemokines (e.g., granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), colony simulating factor (CSF), erythropoietin (EPO), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin-3 (IL-3), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 7 (IL-7), interleukin 8 (IL-8), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 12 (IL-12), interferon gamma, interferon gamma inducing factor I (IGIF), transforming growth factor beta, RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted), macrophage inflammatory proteins (e.g., MIP-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta), and Leishmania elongation initiating factor (LEIF)); bacterial components (e.g., endotoxins, in particular superantigens, exotoxins and cell wall components); aluminum-based salts; calcium-based salts; silica; polynucleotides; toxoids; serum proteins, viral coat proteins; block copolymer adjuvants (e.g., Hunter's Titermax™ adjuvant (Vaxcel™, Inc. Norcross, Ga.), Ribi adjuvants (Ribi ImmunoChem Research, Inc., Hamilton, Mont.); and saponins and their derivatives (e.g., Quil A (Superfos Biosector A/S, Denmark). Protein adjuvants of the present invention can be delivered in the form of the protein themselves or of nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins using the methods described herein.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a therapeutic composition can include a carrier. Carriers include compounds that increase the half-life of a therapeutic composition in the treated animal. Suitable carriers include, but are not limited to, polymeric controlled release vehicles, biodegradable implants, liposomes, bacteria, viruses, other cells, oils, esters, and glycols.

One embodiment of the present invention is a controlled release formulation that is capable of slowly releasing a composition of the present invention into an animal. As used herein, a controlled release formulation comprises a composition of the present invention in a controlled release vehicle. Suitable controlled release vehicles include, but are not limited to, biocompatible polymers, other polymeric matrices, capsules, microcapsules, microparticles, bolus preparations, osmotic pumps, diffusion devices, liposomes, lipospheres, and transdermal delivery systems. Other controlled release formulations of the present invention include liquids that, upon administration to an animal, form a solid or a gel in situ. Preferred controlled release formulations are biodegradable (i.e., bioerodible).

A preferred controlled release formulation of the present invention is capable of releasing a composition of the present invention into the blood of the treated animal at a constant rate sufficient to attain therapeutic dose levels of the composition to regulate an immune response in an animal. The therapeutic composition is preferably released over a period of time ranging from about 1 to about 12 months. A controlled release formulation of the present invention is capable of effecting a treatment preferably for at least about 1 month, more preferably for at least about 3 months, even more preferably for at least about 6 months, even more preferably for at least about 9 months, and even more preferably for at least about 12 months.

Therapeutic compositions of the present invention can be administered to animals prior to and/or after onset of disease. Acceptable protocols to administer therapeutic compositions in an effective manner include individual dose size, number of doses, frequency of dose administration, and/or mode of administration. Determination of such protocols can be accomplished by those skilled in the art. A suitable single dose is a dose that is capable of regulating the immune response in an animal when administered one or more times over a suitable time period. For example, a preferred single dose of a protein, mimetope or antibody therapeutic composition is from about 1 microgram (μg) to about 10 milligrams (mg) of the therapeutic composition per kilogram body weight of the animal. Booster vaccinations can be administered from about 2 weeks to several years after the original administration. Booster administrations preferably are administered when the immune response of the animal becomes insufficient to protect the animal from disease. A preferred administration schedule is one in which from about 10 μg to about 1 mg of the therapeutic composition per kg body weight of the animal is administered from about one to about two times over a time period of from about 2 weeks to about 12 months. Modes of administration can include, but are not limited to, subcutaneous, intradermal, intravenous, intranasal, intraoccular, oral, transdermal and/or intramuscular routes.

According to one embodiment, a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be administered to an animal in a fashion to enable expression of that nucleic acid molecule into a therapeutic protein or therapeutic RNA (e.g., antisense RNA, ribozyme, triple helix forms or RNA drug) in the animal. Nucleic acid molecules can be delivered to an animal in a variety of methods including, but not limited to, (a) administering a naked (i.e., not packaged in a viral coat or cellular membrane) nucleic acid as a genetic vaccine (e.g., as naked DNA or RNA molecules, such as is taught, for example in Wolff et al., 1990, Science 247, 1465-1468) or (b) administering a nucleic acid molecule packaged as a recombinant virus vaccine or as a recombinant cell vaccine (i.e., the nucleic acid molecule is delivered by a viral or cellular vehicle).

A genetic (i.e., naked nucleic acid) vaccine of the present invention includes a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention and preferably includes a recombinant molecule of the present invention that preferably is replication, or otherwise amplification, competent. A genetic vaccine of the present invention can comprise one or more nucleic acid molecules of the present invention in the form of, for example, a dicistronic recombinant molecule. Preferred genetic vaccines include at least a ortion of a viral genome (i.e., a viral vector). Preferred viral vectors include those based on alphaviruses, poxviruses, adenoviruses, herpesviruses, picomaviruses, and/or retroviruses, with those based on alphaviruses (such as sindbis or Semliki forest virus), species-specific herpesviruses and/or poxviruses being particularly preferred. Any suitable transcription control sequence can be used, including those disclosed as suitable for protein production. Particularly preferred transcription control sequences include cytomegalovirus immediate early (preferably in conjunction with Intron-A), Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat, and tissue-specific transcription control sequences, as well as transcription control sequences endogenous to viral vectors if viral vectors are used. The incorporation of a “strong” polyadenylation signal is also preferred.

Genetic vaccines of the present invention can be administered in a variety of ways, with intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal, transdermal, intranasal and/or oral routes of administration being preferred. A preferred single dose of a genetic vaccine ranges from about 1 nanogram (ng) to about 600 μg, depending on the route of administration and/or method of delivery, as can be determined by those skilled in the art. Suitable delivery methods include, for example, by injection, as drops, aerosolized and/or topically. Genetic vaccines of the present invention can be contained in an aqueous excipient (e.g., phosphate buffered saline) alone or in a carrier (e.g., lipid-based vehicles).

A recombinant virus vaccine of the present invention includes a recombinant molecule of the present invention that is packaged in a viral coat and that can be expressed in an animal after administration. Preferably, the recombinant molecule is packaging- or replication-deficient and/or encodes an attenuated virus. A number of recombinant viruses can be used, including, but not limited to, those based on alphaviruses, poxviruses, adenoviruses, herpesviruses, picomaviruses, and/or retroviruses. Preferred recombinant virus vaccines are those based on alphaviruses (such as Sindbis virus), raccoon poxviruses, species-specific herpesviruses and/or species-specific poxviruses. An example of methods to produce and use alphavirus recombinant virus vaccines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,602 by Xiong et al., issued Jun. 16, 1998, which is incorporated by this reference herein in its entirety.

When administered to an animal, a recombinant virus vaccine of the present invention infects cells within the immunized animal and directs the production of a therapeutic protein or RNA nucleic acid molecule that is capable of protecting the animal from disease caused by a parasitic helminth as disclosed herein. For example, a recombinant virus vaccine comprising an immunoregulatory nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is administered according to a protocol that results in the regulation of an immune response in an animal. A preferred single dose of a recombinant virus vaccine of the present invention is from about 1×10⁴ to about 1×10⁸ virus plaque forming units (pfu) per kilogram body weight of the animal. Administration protocols are similar to those described herein for protein-based vaccines, with subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal, intraoccular and/or oral administration routes being preferred.

A recombinant cell vaccine of the present invention includes recombinant cells of the present invention that express at least one protein of the present invention. Preferred recombinant cells for this embodiment include Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Mycobacterium, S. frugiperda, yeast, (including Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris), BHK, CV-1, myoblast G8, COS (e.g., COS-7), Vero, MDCK and CRFK recombinant cells. Recombinant cell vaccines of the present invention can be administered in a variety of ways but have the advantage that they can be administered orally, preferably at doses ranging from about 10⁸ to about 10¹² cells per kilogram body weight. Administration protocols are similar to those described herein for protein-based vaccines. Recombinant cell vaccines can comprise whole cells, cells stripped of cell walls or cell lysates.

The efficacy of a therapeutic composition of the present invention to regulate the immune response in an animal can be tested in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, detection of cellular immunity within the treated animal, determining lymphocyte or dendritic cell activity, detection of immunoglobulin levels, determining hematopoietic stem cell or hematopoietic early progenitor cell development, determining dendritic cell development or challenge of the treated animal with an infectious agent to determine whether the treated animal is resistant to disease. In one embodiment, therapeutic compositions can be tested in animal models such as mice. Such techniques are known to those skilled in the art.

One embodiment of the present invention is an inhibitory compound. Preferably, such an inhibitory compound is derived from an IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF protein of the present invention. Examples of inhibitory compounds include an antibody of the present invention, that is administered to an animal in an effective manner (i.e., is administered in an amount so as to be present in the animal at a titer that is sufficient, upon interaction of that antibody with a native IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF protein, to decrease the activity of such proteins in an animal, at least temporarily). Oligonucleotide nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can also be administered in an effective manner, thereby reducing expression of either an IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF protein, in order to interfere with the protein activity targeted in accordance with the present invention. Peptides of an IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF protein of the present invention an also be administered in an effective manner, thereby reducing binding of IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF proteins to the appropriate receptor, in order to interfere with the protein activity targeted in accordance with the present invention. An inhibitory compound of an IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF function can be identified using IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF proteins of the present invention, respectively.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of inhibiting IL-4 function. Such a method includes the steps of: (a) contacting (e.g., combining, mixing) an isolated IL-4 protein of the present invention, with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the IL-4 protein binds to IL-4 receptor or stimulates T cells in a T cell proliferation assay, and (b) determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the binding of IL-4 protein to IL-4 receptor or the stimulation of T cells in a T cell proliferation assay. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of inhibiting Flt-3 ligand function. Such a method includes the steps of: (a) contacting an isolated Flt-3 ligand protein of the present invention, with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the Flt-3 ligand protein binds to Flt-3 receptor or stimulates dendritic precursor cells in a proliferation assay, and (b) determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the binding of Flt-3 ligand protein to Flt-3 receptor or the stimulation of dendritic precursor cells in a proliferation assay. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of inhibiting CD40 function. Such a method includes the steps of (a) contacting an isolated CD40 protein of the present invention, with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the CD40 protein binds to a CD40 binding partner (e.g., CD154) and (b) determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the binding of CD40 protein to the CD40 binding partner. A CD40 binding partner is a molecule that selectively binds to CD40 protein. Likewise, a binding partner for any other immunoregulatory protein of the present invention includes molecules that selectively bind to that particular immunoregulatory protein. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of inhibiting CD154 function. Such a method includes the steps of (a) contacting an isolated CD154 protein of the present invention, with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the CD154 protein binds to a CD154 binding partner (e.g., CD40) and (b) determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the binding of CD154 protein to the CD154 binding partner. Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of inhibiting IL-5 function. Such a method includes the steps of: (a) contacting an isolated IL-5 protein of the present invention, with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the IL-5 protein binds to IL-5 receptor or stimulates T cells in a T cell proliferation assay, and (b) determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the binding of IL-5 protein to IL-5 receptor or the stimulation of T cells in a T cell proliferation assay. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of inhibiting IL-13 function. Such a method includes the steps of: (a) contacting an isolated IL-13 protein of the present invention, with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the IL-13 protein binds to IL-13 receptor or stimulates T cells in a T cell proliferation assay, and (b) determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the binding of IL-13 protein to IL-13 receptor or the stimulation of T cells in a T cell proliferation assay. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of inhibiting IFNα function. Such a method includes the steps of: (a) contacting an isolated IFNα protein of the present invention, with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of the compound, the IFNα protein binds to IFNα receptor or inhibits proliferation of GM-CSF stimulated TF-1 cells, and (b) determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the binding of IFNα protein to IFNα receptor or inhibits proliferation of GM-CSF stimulated TF-1 cells. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method to identify a compound capable of inhibiting GM-CSF function. Such a method includes the steps of: (a) contacting an isolated GM-CSF protein of the present invention, with a putative inhibitory compound under conditions in which, in the absence of said compound, the GM-CSF protein bind to GM-CSF receptor or stimulates T cells in a T cell proliferation assay, and (b) determining if the putative inhibitory compound inhibits the binding of GM-CSF protein to GM-CSF receptor or the stimulation of T cells in a T cell proliferation assay.

Putative inhibitory compounds to screen include small organic molecules, antibodies (including mimetopes thereof), and/or ligand analogs. Such compounds are also screened to identify those that are substantially not toxic in host animals.

Preferred IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF, proteins to inhibit are those produced by dogs, cats, horses or humans, even more preferred IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF proteins to inhibit are those produced by domestic dogs or cats. A particularly preferred inhibitor of the present invention is capable of regulating an immune response in an animal. It is also within the scope of the present invention to use inhibitors of the present invention to target diseases involving undesired immune activity in animals. Compositions comprising inhibitors of IL-4, Flt-3 ligand, CD40, CD154, IL-5, IL-13, IFNα, and/or GM-CSF function can be administered to animals in an effective manner to regulate the immune response in the animals, and preferably to prevent autoimmune disease, allergy, infectious disease, inflammation or prevent graft rejection in animals, or to treat animals with such diseases. Effective amounts and/or dosing regimens can be determined using techniques known to those skilled in the art.

It is also within the scope of the present invention to use isolated proteins, mimetopes, nucleic acid molecules and/or antibodies of the present invention as diagnostic reagents. Methods to use such diagnostic reagents are well known to those skilled in the art, see, for example, Janeway, et al., ibid., and/or PCT Publication No. WO 98/23964, published Jun. 4, 1998.

The following examples are provided for the purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

EXAMPLES

It is to be noted that the examples include a number of molecular biology, microbiology, immunology and biochemistry techniques considered to be familiar to those skilled in the art. Disclosure of such techniques can be found, for example, in Sambrook et al., ibid, and Ausubel, et al., 1993, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Greene/Wiley Interscience, New York, N.Y., and related references. Ausubel. et al. ibid. is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Example 1

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of canine interleukin-4 (IL-4) nucleic acid molecules of the present invention. This example also describes expression of recombinant canine IL-4 in E. coliand mammalian cells; development of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to E. coliexpressed canine IL-4; and bioactivity of mammalian-expressed canine IL-4.

A. Isolation and Sequencing of a Canine IL-4 Nucleic Acid Molecule.

Initial attempts to isolate a canine IL-4 nucleic acid molecule using various primers corresponding to putative conserved regions of IL-4 nucleic acid molecules failed. Forward and reverse primers were then designed using a sequence tag site (IL-4sts) described by Venta et al. in GenBank. The forward primer was designated as IL-4stsA, having the nucleic acid sequence 5′ CTATTAATGG GTCTCACCTC CCAA CT 3′, designated herein as SEQ ID NO:11. The reverse primer was designated as prIL-4stsB, having the nucleic acid sequence 5′ TCAACTCGGT GCACAGAGTC TTGG 3′, designated herein as SEQ ID NO:12. The primers were used to amplify PCR products from a C. familiaris mitogen activated PBMC cDNA library that was constructed in the Uni-ZAP® XR vector (available from Stratagene Cloning Systems, La Jolla, Calif.), using Stratagene's ZAP-cDNA® Synthesis Kit and the manufacturer's protocol. The MRNA was isolated from C. familiaris peripheral blood mononuclear cells about 4 hours after they were activated by a polyclonal activating agent in culture. Four PCR products were produced that had the expected size range. The PCR products were cloned and sequenced using standard techniques. A portion of one of the four products was found to be somewhat homologous with an IL-4 nucleic acid sequence reported in GenBank.

To identify a cDNA encoding a full-length canine IL-4 protein, the PCR product showing some homology with the IL-4 sequence reported in GenBank was used to generate an about 549 base pair DNA fragment as follows. The PCR product was labeled with ³²P and used as a probe to screen the canine PBMC cDNA library. Hybridization was done at about 6×SSC, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5% SDS, 100 μg/ml of ssDNA and 100 μg/ml of tRNA, at about 68° C., for about 36 hr. (the compositions of SSC and Denhardt's are described in Sambrook et al., ibid.). The filters were washed 3 times, for about 30 minutes per wash, at about 55° C. in about 2×SSC, 0.2% SDS, followed by a final wash of about 30 minutes in the same buffer except using about 1×SSC. Positive clones were isolated and the cDNA inserts were sequenced for both strands using vector flanking primers and gene-specific internal primers. Sequence analysis was performed using the GAP program of GCG (available from the University of Wisconsin) using the alignment settings of: gap weight set at 50, length weight set at 3, and average match set at 10 for nucleic acid sequence comparisons; and gap weight set at 12, length weight set at 4, and average match set at 2.912 for amino acid sequence comparisons.

A cDNA nucleic acid molecule was isolated, referred to herein as nCaIL-4₅₄₉, the coding strand of which was shown to have a nucleic acid sequence denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:1. The complement of SEQ ID NO:1 is represented herein by SEQ ID NO:3. Translation of SEQ ID NO:1 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-4₅₄₉ encodes a full-length IL-4 protein of about 132 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-4₁₃₂, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:2, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 43 through nucleotide 45 of SEQ ID NO:1 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 439 through nucleotide 441 of SEQ ID NO:1. The coding region encoding PCaIL-4₁₃₂ is presented herein as nCaIL-4₃₉₆, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:4 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:5 (the complementary strand). A putative signal sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 43 through nucleotide 114 of SEQ ID NO:1. The proposed mature protein (i.e., canine IL-4 protein from which the signal sequence has been cleaved), denoted herein as PCaIL-4₁₀₈, contains about 108 amino acids, extending from residue 25 through residue 132 of SEQ ID NO:2; PCaIL-4₁₀₈ amino acid sequence is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:20. The nucleic acid molecule encoding PCaIL-4₁₀₈ is denoted herein as nCaIL-4₃₂₄, extending from nucleotide 115 through nucleotide 438 of SEQ ID NO:1, nCaIL-4₃₂₄ has a coding sequence denoted SEQ ID NO:19 and a complementary sequence denoted SEQ ID NO:21.

Comparison of nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:1 with nucleic acid sequences reported in GenBank indicates that SEQ ID NO:1 showed the most homology, i.e., about 89.3% identity, with a feline IL-4 gene. Comparison of amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2 with amino acid sequences reported in GenBank indicates that SEQ ID NO:2 showed the most homology, i.e., about 82.6% identity, with a feline IL-4 protein. Sequence analysis was performed using the GCG GAP program as described above.

B. Expression of Recombinant Canine IL-4 in E. coliand Mammalian Cells

i. E. coliExpression

A recombinant molecule capable of expressing the mature form of canine IL-4, denoted herein as pGEX-nCaIL-4₃₂₇, was produced as follows. A 340-nucleotide fragment was PCR amplified from nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-4₅₄₉ (having coding strand SEQ ID NO:1) using the following primer sequences: positive strand 5′ TGAATTCGGA CATAACTTCA ATATTAC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:38) (EcoRI site in bold) and 5′ TCTCGAGATT CAGCTTCATG CCTGTA 3′ (SEQ ID NO39) (Xhol site in bold). The resulting 340-base pair fragment was digested with EcoRI and XhoI restriction enzymes (available from New England Biolabs, Beverly, Mass.), according to the manufacturer's directions, and gel-purified using standard techniques. The digested 340-base pair fragment, now 327 base pairs, was then ligated into pGEX-6P-1 (available from Amersham Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.), which had been previously digested with EcoRI and Xhol and gel purified, to produce recombinant molecule pGEX-nCaIL-4₃₂₇. Recombinant molecules of pGEX produce the protein of interest as a glutathione s-transferase (GST) fusion protein. The recombinant molecule pGEX-nCaIL-4₃₂₇ was transformed into DH5alpha cells (available from Life Technologies, Gaithersburg, Md.), a recombination deficient strain of E. coli, to produce recombinant cell DH5-pGEX-nCaIL-4₃₂₇. The recombinant cells were screened for presence of insert by PCR and confirmed by enzyme restriction analysis and nucleic acid sequencing, using standard techniques. Several clonal recombinant molecules were transformed into BL21 cells (available from Amersham Pharmacia. Piscataway, N.J.), a protease deficient strain of E. coli, to produce recombinant cell BL21-pGEX-nCaIL-4₃₂₇. These recombinant cells were screened, and the clone with the highest level of protein yield was selected for scaling up for larger-scale protein production. The resultant recombinant protein is referred to herein as E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉.

To produce and purify E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉, bacterial cultures of recombinant cell BL21:pGEX-nCaIL-4₃₂₇ were grown in shake flasks at 37° C. and induced with 0.1 mM IPTG (isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside), (available from Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo.) when OD_(600nm) reached about 0.8 units. Growth was allowed to continue for about 4 hours; then bacteria were harvested by centrifugation at 4000×g (times gravity) for 20 minutes. The bacterial pellet was washed and resuspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (for recipe, see Sambrook et al. ibid.), then lysed by exposure to gaseous nitrogen pressure in a Parr pressure vessel (available from Parr Instrument Co., Moline, Ill.), according to the manufacturer's instructions. Cell debris was removed by centrifugation at 10,000×g for 20 minutes. The IL-4-GST fusion protein E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ was purified from the supernatant by allowing incubation with glutathione-conjugated resin, removing unbound proteins and then removing the GST tag with PRESCISSION™ protease; all reagents were available from Amersham Pharmacia and all were used according to the manufacturer's directions.

Concentration and purity of E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ were estimated by BCA Protein Assay kit (available from Pierce, Rockford, Ill.) and SDS-PAGE followed by Coomassie staining, respectively. The purified material exhibited a single band of approximately 14 kilodaltons (kD) by Coomassie stained SDS-PAGE.

ii. CHO Cell Expression

A recombin ant molecule denoted herein as pCMV-nCaαL-4₃₉₀, capable of expressing a full length form of canine IL-4 (including signal sequence) was produced as follows. A 422-nucleotide fragment was PCR amplified from nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-4₁₄₉ Using the following primers: 5′ CCCAAGCTTA TGGGTCTCACC TCCCAAC (HindIII site in bold), denoted SEQ ID NO:40, and 3′ CCTCGAGATT CAGCTTTCAA TGCCTGTA (XhoI site in bold), denoted SEQ ID NO:127. The 422-base pair PCR product was digested with the restriction endonucleases HindIII and xhoI, both available from New England Biolabs. The resulting 399-base pair product encoding full-length canine IL-4 was gel purified using standard techniques and ligated into the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate-early transcription control region of the pCMV-Int A plasmid vector that had been digested with HindIII and XhoI (available from New England Biolabs), and gel purified, to produce the recombinant molecule pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₉₉. The pCMV-Int A plasmid vector was generated as referenced by J. E. Osorio et al., 1999, Vaccine 17, 1109-1116. Briefly, vector pRc/RSV, (available from Invitrogen Corp., San Diego, Calif.) was cleaved with restriction enzyme PvuII (available from New England Biolabs), and the 2963-base pair PvuII fragment was gel purified. The fragment was self-ligated to form the vector pRc/RSV(Pvu), which contains a Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) long terminal repeat, a multiple cloning site, a bovine growth hormone polyadenylation sequence, a bacterial origin of replication, and an ampicillin resistance gene. Vector pRc/RSV(Pvu) was restriction enzyme digested using HindIII and NruI. A HindIII/SspI fragment containing the HCMV intermediate early promoter and first intron (i.e. intron A) was ligated into the digested pRc/RSV(Pvu) vector to produce the vector pCMV-Int A.

Stable expression of CaIL-4 in mammalian cells was carried out by transfecting the recombinant molecule pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₉₉ into Chinese Hamster Ovary cells, (CHO, available from ATCC) as follows. Six-well polystyrene tissue culture plates (available from Corning Costar, Acton, Mass.) were seeded with approximately 5×10⁵ cells/well in 2 milliliter (ml) cell culture media, consisting of Minimal Essential Media (MEM) supplemented with 100 mM L-glutamine, 100 mM gentamicin, and 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), (all available from Life Technologies). Cells were grown to about 80% confluence (for about 18 hours) before transfection. The recombinant molecules to be transfected were purified using the Plasmid Midi Kit (available from Qiagen, Valencia, Calif.) and used according to the manufacturer's instructions. The recombinant molecule pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₉₉ was linearized using the restriction enzyme PvuI (available from New England Biolabs). The plasmid pcDNA3, (available from Invitrogen), which contains the neomycin resistance gene, was linearized using the restriction enzyme EcoRI. Approximately 2 μg of pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₉₉ was mixed with about 2 ng of linearized pcDNA3 in about 100 μl OPTIMEM™ media, available from Life Technologies. About 10 μl Lipofectamine, (available from Life Technologies) was mixed with 100 μl OPTIMEM. The nucleic acid molecule-containing mixture was then added to the Lipofectamine mixture and incubated at room temperature for about 45 minutes. After incubation, about 0.8 ml OPTIMEM was added, and the mixture was overlaid onto the CHO cells which had been previously rinsed with OPTIMEM. Cells were incubated for about 5 hours at 37° C. 5% CO₂, 95% relative humidity. Approximately 1 ml of cell culture media as described previously, with 20% FBS, was added and the cells were incubated overnight. The media was changed at 24 hours, and at 72 hours post transfection, the cells were split 1:4 and put into fresh cell culture media containing about 500 μg/ml geneticin (G418, available from Life Technologies). The media was changed every 3-5 days. After several weeks, G418 resistant colonies were trypsinized using sterile filter papers, 5-6 mm in diameter that were soaked in trypsin, which were then placed over individual wells of 24 well plates that contained separated widely spaced colonies of CHO cells. After 3 days, the papers were removed. The resulting recombinant cells are referred to herein as CHO-pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₉₉. The recombinant cells were then expanded and tested for the presence of nIL-4399 RNA by RT-PCR and tested for the presence of PCaIL-4₁₃₃ protein by Western blot analysis. Westerns were developed with rabbit anti-E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ serum and 607.1 monoclonal antibody, a monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ protein. See Example 1C for a description of how these antibodies were produced.

C. Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies to Recombinant canine IL-4 (i.e., Anti-canine IL-4 Antibodies)

The following describes the development of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that selectively bind to E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉.

Female Balb/C mice, 6-8 weeks old, were injected subcutaneously, at about 4 sites, with a total of 25 μg E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ (produced as described in Example 1Bi) in Freund's Complete Adjuvant (day 0). Fourteen days later, the mice received an intraperitoneal boost of 25 μg E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ in Freund's Incomplete Adjuvant (day 14). Fourteen days later, serum was tested for antibody titer to E. coliPCaIL-41₀₉ by ELISA (day 28). Three days prior to fusion, mice were boosted intravenously with 20 μg E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ in PBS (day 35). Splenocytes were harvested from mice demonstrating the highest serum titer by ELISA and depleted of CD4+and CD8+cells. This depletion was achieved by incubation of the splenocytes with biotinylated rat anti-mouse CD4 and anti-mouse CD8 monoclonal antibodies, available from PharMingen, San Diego, Calif. Antibody-labeled cells were then removed by incubation with M-280 streptavidin coated magnetic beads, available from Dynal, Oslo, Norway. Depleted splenocytes were fused to SP2/0 cells (available from ATCC) using 50% polyethylene glycol in unsupplemented Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Media (IMDM), following established protocols; see, for example, Harlow E., and Lane D., eds., 1995, Antibodies, A Laboratory Manual, Monoclonal Antibodies, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories; Harlow et al. ibid., is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Fused cells were plated in 96-well plates using IMDM cell culture media, (available from Life Technologies, Inc., Rockville, Md.), which was supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 2 mM L-glutamine, 1 mM sodium pyruvate, 1×nonessential amino acids, 1×MEM amino acids, 0.05 mg/ml gentamicin, and 0.5 mM β-mercaptoethanol (all reagents available from Life Technologies). Additionally, 100 μM hypoxanthine, 0.4 μM aminopterin, and 16 μM thymidine, all available from Sigma Chemical Corporation, St Louis, Mo., were added.

After about 7 days, wells positive for hybridoma growth were screened by ELISA to E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉. Immulon II 96-well plates (available from VWR, Denver, Colo.) were coated, overnight, with 100 ng/ml E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ in 0.1 M carbonate/bicarbonate buffer, Ph 9.6. After blocking the wells with 20% FBS in Tris buffered saline (TBS), culture supernatants were allowed to bind. Presence of anti-E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ mouse antibody was detected with polyclonal goat anti-mouse IgG conjugated to horseradish peroxidase, (available from KPL, Gaithersburg, Md.), and color developed with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine dihydrochloride (TMB), available from Pierce, Rockford, Ill. Specificity of the ELISA reactivity was verified by Western blot analysis to E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉, developed with polyclonal goat anti-mouse IgG conjugated to alkaline phosphatase and nitro-blue tetrazolium/5-bromo-4-chloro-3′-indolyphosphate p-toluidine salt substrate (NBT/BCIP, available from Sigma). Western blots exhibited a single band of approximately 14 kD. Immunoglobulin isotype of the monoclonal antibodies was determined using IsoStrips, available from Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, Ind. Twenty-three monoclonal antibodies were generated to E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉, 22 of which were of the IgM isotype and one of which was IgG1, and is referred to herein as 607.1.

Polyclonal rabbit serum was produced by repeated immunization (over a 10 month period) of a male, New Zealand White rabbit 12-16 months old. Initial immunization was 50 ug E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ (prepared as described in Example 1bi) in Freund's Complete Adjuvant, at several sites subcutaneously and intradermally. One month later, and at one month intervals thereafter, the rabbit was boosted intradermally with 50 ug E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ in Fruend's Incomplete Adjuvant. Serum was collected bi-weekly and titers monitored by ELISA and Western blot to E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉. Serum that selectively bound to E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ protein is referred to as anti-E. coliPCaIL-4₁₀₉ serum.

D. Bioactivity of Mammalian-expressed Canine IL-4

The following describes a bioassay to detect the expression of canine IL-4 protein expressed in the supernatants from CHO-pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₉₉ recombinant cells by screening for production of CD23.

About 100 μl Ramos cells, available from ATCC, at a concentration of about 3.5×10³ cells/ml were seeded into 96-well flat bottom plates, available from Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, N.J.). These cells were grown in RPMI media supplemented with 100 mM L-glutamine, gentamicin, and 10% FBS (called TCM). The Ramos cells were then treated in 5% CO₂ for 37° C. for approximately 48 h. with one of the following:

Group Treatment

-   -   1 TCM     -   2 CHO-pCMV (a transfectant cell line containing the empty pCMV         vector) supernatant (1:4 final dilution in TCM)     -   3 CHO-pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₉₉ supernatant (1:20 final dilution in TCM)

Triplicate samples for each treatment group were pooled for staining to look for increased expression of CD23 (one of the reported effects of IL-4). Briefly, 1×10⁵ cells from each treatment group were incubated in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 30% FBS for 15-30 min on ice. The cells were collected and incubated with the following:

Condition Primary Incubation Secondary Location A PBS Goat anti mouse PE B Mouse anti human CD23 Goat anti mouse PE

Condition Primary Incubation Secondary Incubation

Mouse anti-human CD23 monoclonal antibody, available from Pharmingen, was used at about 10 μg/ml. Goat (Fab′2) anti mouse IgG PE, available from Southern Biotechnologies was used at about 2.5 μg/ml. These reagents were diluted in PBS with 5% FBS. Primary incubations were performed for 30-60 minutes on ice, and secondary incubations were performed for 20-30 min on ice. Three washes of PBS/5% FBS were performed in between each incubation. Cells were then analyzed on a flow cytometer (e.g., MoFlow Desk Top System, available from Cytomation, Ft. Collins, Colo.) with the fluorescein gate set at 10¹. The results are shown below in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Induction of CD23 on Ramos cells post-treatment with supernatants from CHO-pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₀₉ Treatment Condition % positive 1 A 0 B 1 2 A 8 B 1 3 A 3 B 99

Table 2 shows that the canine Il-4 expressed by the CHO transfectant CHO-pCMV-nCaIL-4₃₉₉ is biologically active, demonstrated by its ability to induce expression of CD23 in Ramos cells.

Example 2

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of certain canine Flt-3 ligand and feline Flt-3 nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention. The example also describes expression of a canine Flt-3 ligand protein of the present invention in CHO cells, as well as detection of the expressed canine Flt-3 ligand protein.

A. Canine Flt-3 Ligand Nucleic Acid Molecules and Proteins.

i. This example describes the isolation and sequencing of certain canine Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention.

A canine Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule was produced as follows. A pair of primers was initially used to amplify DNA from the C. familiaris mitogen activated PBMC cDNA library described above in Example 1. A forward primer referred to as FLT3F1, having the nucleic acid sequence 5′ CTGGCGCCAG CCTGGAGCCC 3′, designated herein as SEQ ID NO:13 was used in combination with a reverse primer referred to herein as FLT3B1, having the nucleic acid sequence 5′ GGGAGATGTT GGTCTGGACG 3′, referred to herein as SEQ ID NO:14 to amplify Flt-3 ligand DNA from the cDNA library by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The primers were designed using conserved regions of IL-4 cDNA sequences from other species in the public databases corresponding to the positions shown below:

Database Accession number Nucleotides Animal gb U04806 102-121 human gb L23636  41-60 mouse gb U04806  77-458 human gb L23636 419-400 mouse

A 360-base pair (bp) PCR product was generated in the above reaction that was purified, radiolabeled and used as a probe to screen the cDNA library. Hybridization was performed in 6×SSC, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5% SDS, 100 μg/ml ssDNA and 100 μg/ml of tRNA, at 68° C., for about 36 hr. The filters were washed 3 times, for about 30 minutes per wash, at 55° C. in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS, followed by a final wash in 0.25×SSC, for about 30 minutes, at 55° C. Several positive phage clones were identified and shown to produce PCR products when used as templates in combination with the FLT3F1 and FLT3B1 primers. The DNA inserts in the phage clones were sequenced using standard techniques and failed to yield any clones containing DNA inserts having a portion homologous to published Flt-3 ligand sequences. The 360-bp PCR fragment generated above was then cloned into the vector pcDNA 2.1 (available from Invitrogen Corp., San Diego, Calif.). Several independent colonies were generated and the sequences of their inserts determined. One clone was identified that which contained insert sequence having a portion, that was somewhat homologous to published human or murine Flt-3 ligand sequence.

Two canine Flt-3 ligand-specific primers were then designed using the nucleic acid sequence obtained using the 360-bp PCR product described above.

Primer Sequence SEQ ID NO DFLB1 5′GACCAGGCGCCAGAACGC 3′ SEQ ID NO:15 DFLF1 5′CGGTCACCATCCGCAAGC 3′ SEQ ID NO:16

The 5′ region of a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule was PCR amplified from the cDNA library using the DFLB1 primer in combination with the 5′ T3 vector primer from the Uni-ZAP® XR vector (available from Stratagene). The 3′ region of a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule was PCR amplified from the cDNA library using the DFLF1 in combination with the 3′ T7 primer from the Uni-ZAP® XR vector (available from Stratagene). A 855-bp PCR product was obtained representing the 5′ region of a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule. A 265-bp PCR product was obtained representing the 3′ region of a Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecule. Both the 855-bp PCR product and 265-bp PCR product were cloned and sequenced using standard methods. Additional canine Flt-3 ligand-specific primers were designed using the nucleic acid sequence obtained from the sequence of the 855-bp PCR product and 265-bp PCR products.

Primer Sequence SEQ ID NO DFLB2 5′TGGCAAGGCAGTGGCCTC 3′ SEQ ID NO:17 DFLF2 5′GCCGAGATGATAGTGCTGGC 3′ SEQ ID NO:18

A 546-bp PCR product was generated using the primer DFLF2 in combination with the primer DFLB2 to amplify a PCR product from the cDNA library. The 546-bp PCR product was then purified, radiolabelled and used as a probe to screen the cDNA library. Hybridization was performed in 6×SSC, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5% SDS, 100 μg/ml of ssDNA and 100 μg/ml of tRNA, at 68° C. for about 36 hr. The filters were washed in 1.25×SSC, for about 30 minutes, at 55° C. Four CDNA clones encoding full-length canine Flt-3 ligand were isolated. Nucleic acid sequence was obtained using standard techniques.

A Flt-3 ligand clone was isolated, referred to herein as nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃, the coding strand of which was shown to have a nucleic acid sequence denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:6. The complement of SEQ ID NO:6 is represented herein by SEQ ID NO:8. Translation of SEQ ID NO:6 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃ encodes a full-length Flt-3 ligand protein of about 294 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaFlt3L₂₉₄, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:7, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 35 through nucleotide 37 of SEQ ID NO:6 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 917 through nucleotide 919 of SEQ ID NO:6. The coding region encoding PCaFlt3L₂₉₄ is presented herein as nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:9 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:10 (the complementary strand). A putative signal sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 35 through nucleotide 112 of SEQ ID NO:6. The proposed mature protein (i.e., canine Flt-3 ligand protein from which the signal sequence has been cleaved), denoted herein as PCaFlt3L₂₆₈ (SEQ ID NO:23), contains about 268 amino acids, extending from residue 27 through residue 294 of SEQ ID NO:7. The nucleic acid molecule encoding PCaFlt3L₂₆₈ is denoted herein as nCaFlt3L₈₀₄, extending from nucleotide 113 through nucleotide 916 of SEQ ID NO:6, nCaFlt3L₈₀₄ has a coding sequence denoted SEQ ID NO:22 and a complementary sequence denoted SEQ ID NO:24.

Below is a description of the identification of alternatively spliced Canis Flt3 ligand transcripts. Besides cDNA clones such as nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃ encoding the full-length canine FLT3 ligand protein, two splice variants of canine Flt3 ligand cDNA clones were also isolated, using the same hybridization conditions as mentioned previously in this Example. One such variant (Clone 1), denoted herein as nCaFlt3L₉₈₅, has a coding strand the nucleic acid sequence of which is represented as SEQ ID NO:25. The complement of SEQ ID NO:25 is represented herein by SEQ ID NO:27. Translation of SEQ ID NO:25 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₉₈₅ encodes a Flt-3 ligand protein of 276 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaFlt3L₂₇₆, the amino acid sequence of which is represented by SEQ ID NO:26, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 74 through nucleotide 76 of SEQ ID NO:25 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 902 through nucleotide 904 of SEQ ID NO:25. The coding region encoding PCaFlt3L₂₇₆ is represented herein as nCaFlt3L₈₂₈, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:28 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:29 (the complementary strand). Alignment of nucleic acid molecules nCaFlt3L₈₁₂ and nCaFlt3L₈₂₈ indicates that the nucleic acid molecules are identical except for a deletion in nCaFlt3L₈₂₈, which spans from nucleotide 343 through nucleotide 396 of nCaFlt3L₈₈₂. Accordingly, nCaFlt3L₈₂₈ encodes 18 fewer amino acids than nCaFlt3L₈₈₂. The deletion in PCaFlt3L₂₇₆, which spans from residue 115 through residue 132 of PCaFlt3L₂₉₄, occurs between helix III and helix IV of the canine Flt3 ligand protein inferred from alignment with the human and mouse Flt3 ligand protein (Lyman et al., Cell, vol. 75, pp. 1157-1167, 1993; Hannum et al., Nature, vol. 368, pp. 643-648, 1994; Lyamn et al., Blood, vol. 83, pp. 2795-2801, 1994). In addition, the alignment shows that there are 39 more nucleotides in the 5′ untranslated region of nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₉₈₅ (nucleotides 1 to 39) than nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃ and there are 2 more nucleotides in the 3′ untranslated region of nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₉₈₅ (nucleotides 922 to 923) than nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃. The remaining sequences between nCaFlt3L₉85 and nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₃ are identical. A putative mature form of nCaFlt3L₉₈₅ (without the signal sequence) is predicted. The putative signal sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 74 to nucleotide 151 of SEQ ID NO:25. The proposed mature protein, denoted herein as PCaFlt3L₂₅₀, represented by SEQ ID NO:31, contains about 250 amino acids, extending from residue 27 through residue 276 of SEQ ID NO:26. The nucleic acid molecule encoding PCaFlt3L₂₅₀, extending from nucleotide 152 through nucleotide 901 of SEQ ID NO:6, denoted herein as nCaFlt3L₇₅₀, is represented by SEQ ID NO:30 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:32 (the complement strand).

A second variant (Clone 19) is represented by nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉, the coding strand of which is denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:33. The complement of SEQ ID NO:33 is denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:35. Translation of SEQ ID NO:33 suggests that nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉ encodes a Flt-3 ligand protein of 31 amino acids, PCaFlt3L₃₁, denoted SEQ ID NO:34, assuming an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 74 through nucleotide 76 and a stop codon spanning nucleotide 167 through nucleotide 169 of SEQ ID NO:33. The coding region encoding PCaFlt3L₃₁ is represented herein as nCaFlt3L₉₃, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:36 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:37 (the complementary strand). Alignment of nucleic acid molecules nCaFlt3L₉₈₅ and nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉ indicates the presence of an insertion of 91 nucleotides in nCaF13L₁₀₁₉. The insertion spans nucleotide 107 through nucleotide 198 of nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉. A stop codon is found in this insertion in frame with the predicted initiation codon, which span nucleotide 74 through nucleotide 76 of SEQ ID NO:6. Since this insertion (with an in-frame stop codon) occurs in or close to the signal peptide, it is likely that nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₁₀₁₉ encodes a nonfunctional Flt-3 ligand protein.

Comparison of nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:6 with nucleic acid sequences reported in GenBank indicates that SEQ ID NO:6 showed the most homology, i.e., about 69.8% identity, with a human Flt-3 ligand gene. Comparison of amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:7 with amino acid sequences reported in GenBank indicates that SEQ ID NO:7 showed the most homology, i.e. about 71% identity, with a human Flt-3 ligand protein. Sequence analysis was performed with DNAsis™ using the alignment settings of: gap penalty set at 5; number of top diagonals set at 5; fixed gap penalty set at 10; K-tuple set at 2; window size set at 5 and floating gap penalty set at 10.

ii. This example describes the production of a recombinant molecule encoding a full length canine Flt-3 ligand protein and expression of that protein by a recombinant cell of the present invention.

A recombinant molecule, denoted herein as pCMV-nCaFlt3L₈₈₂ and capable of expressing a full length form of Flt-3 ligand, was produced as follows. Nucleic acid molecule nCaFlt3L₈₈₂ was digested with the restriction endonucleases EcoRI and XbaI, gel purified and ligated into pCMV-Int A (prepared by methods described in Example 1) to produce recombinant molecule pCMV-nCaFlt3L₈₁₂. Insert size and identity were confirmed by restriction digestion, PCR, and sequencing analyses.

Stable transfectants expressing the recombinant molecule pCMV-nCaFlt3L₈₈₂ were established in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells (CHO, available from ATCC) as follows. Briefly, six-well polystryene tissue culture plates were seeded with approximately 4×10⁵ cells per well in 2 ml of MEM (available from Life Technologies, Gaithersburg, Md.) supplemented with 100 mM L-glutamine, gentamicin, and 10% FBS (TCM). Cells were grown to about 80% confluence (about 18 hr). The recombinant molecule to be transfected was prepared using the Qiagen Endotoxin-Free Plasmid Maxi Kit as per the manufacturer's instructions. The recombinant molecule was linearized with the restriction enzyme PvuI, extracted with phenol, and precipitated with isopropanol. The plasmid pcDNA 3, available from Invitrogen, which contains the neomycin resistance gene, was linearized with the restriction enzyme EcoRI. Approximately 1 μg of recombinant plasmid DNA and 100 ng of pcDNA3 were mixed with about 100 μl OptiMEM medium, available from Life Technologies. About 10 μl Lipofectamine (available from Life Technologies) was mixed with 100 μl OptiMEM. The DNA-containing mixture was then added to the Lipofectamine mixture and incubated at room temperature for about 30 min. After incubation, about 800 μl of OptiMEM was added, and the entire mixture was overlaid onto the CHO cells that had been rinsed with OptiMEM. Cells were incubated for 6 hours at 37° C., 5% CO₂, 95% relative humidity. Approximately 1 ml of TCM with 20% FBS was added, and the cells were incubated overnight. The media was changed after about 24 hr. About 72 hr post transfection, the cells were split 1:4 and put into selection TCM containing 500 μg/ml Geneticin (G418), available from Life Technologies. The medium was changed every 3-5 days. After several weeks, G418-resistant colonies were trypsinized, and the cells were plated into 24 well plates. The resulting recombinant cells are referred to herein as CHO-pCMV-nCaFlt3L₈₈₂. The recombinant cells were then expanded for testing.

iii. The following describes the detection of expression of a canine Flt-3 ligand protein of the present invention by CHO-pCMV-nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, a recombinant cell of the present invention.

Recombinant cells CHO-pCMV-nCaFlt3L₈₈₂, produced as described in Example 2, part (B)(ii) above, were tested for surface expression of canine Flt-3 ligand using a cross-reactive goat anti-human Flt-3 ligand polyclonal antibody as follows. Briefly, 1×10⁵ CHO-pCMV-nCaFlt3L₈₈₂ cells or CHO-pCMV cells (i.e., cells transfected with an empty vector as described in Example 1) were incubated in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 30% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for about 30 min on ice. The cells were then spun down and treated with the following:

Condition Primary Incubation Secondary Incubation 1 PBS Rabbit (Fab′ 2) anti sheep (H + L) FITC 2 Goat anti-human Flt3 ligand Rabbit (Fab′ 2) anti sheep (H + L) FITC Goat anti-human Flt3 ligand, available from R and D Systems, Minneapolis, Minn. was used at about 20μg/ml. Rabbit (Fab′ 2) anti sheep (H+L) FITC, available from Southern Biotechnology Associates, Inc., was used at about 10 μg/ml. These reagents were diluted in PBS/5%FBS. All incubations were in 50 μl for about 1 hr on ice with 2 washes of PBS/5%FBS in between each incubation. Cells were then analyzed on a flow cytometer (e.g., MoFlow Desk Top System, available from Cytomation, Ft. Collins, Colo.) with the fluorescein gate set at 10¹. The results are shown below in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Expression of canine Flt3 ligand on CHO transfectants. % positive Cells Condition 1 Condition 2 CHO-pCMV 1 1 CHO-pCMV nCaFlt3L₈₈₂ 2 48 CHO-pCMV nCaFlt3L₈₈₂ 1 20 Table 3 shows that canine Flt3 ligand is expressed on the surface of the CHO transfectants.

B. Feline Flt-3 Ligand Nucleic Acid Molecules and Proteins.

This example describes the production of certain feline Flt-3 ligand nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention.

A nucleic acid molecule encoding a feline Flt-3 ligand was isolated from a feline PBMC cDNA library as follows. A Felis catus mitogen activated PBMC cDNA library was constructed in the Uni-Zap-R XR™ vector, available from Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif., using Stratagene's Zap cDNA-R™ Synthesis Kit and the manufacturer's protocol using mRNA isolated from F. catus peripheral blood mononuclear cells about 4 hours after they were activated by a polyclonal activating agent in culture. PCR amplification to isolate a feline Flt 3 ligand nucleic acid molecule was conducted according to the following set of steps: one initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 3 minutes; then 35 cycles of the following; 94° C. for 30 seconds, 53.8° C. for 30 seconds, and 72° C. for 105 seconds; then one final extension step at 72° C. for 8 minutes. A 395 nucleotide cDNA fragment containing the 5′ end of feline Flt3 ligand coding region, denoted nFeFlt3L₃₉₅, was amplified from the feline PMBC cDNA library using the following primers: vector primer T3 having nucleic acid sequence 5′ AATTAACCCT CACTAAAGGG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:142) (available from Stratagene) and the antisense primer having SEQ ID NO:14, described in Example 2A. The nucleic acid sequence of the coding strand of nFeFlt3L₃₉₅ is denoted SEQ ID NO:41. A 793-nucleotide cDNA fragment containing the 3′ end of feline Flt3 ligand coding region, denoted nFeFlt3L₇₉₃, was isolated using sense primer 2 having the nucleic acid sequence 5′ CACAGYCCCA TCTCCTCC 3′ (where Y was either T or C) denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:151, in conjunction with vector primer T7 having the nucleic acid sequence 5′ GTAATACGAC TCACTATAGG GC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:152). The nucleic acid sequence of the coding strand of nFeFlt3L₇₉₃ is denoted SEQ ID NO:42. Nucleic acid molecules nFeFlt3L₃₉₃ and nFeFlt3L7₉₃ overlap by 246 nucleotides and form a composite sequence encoding a Flt3 ligand protein that is similar in length to that of PCaFlt3L₂₉₄. This composite feline Flt3 ligand cDNA is referred to herein as nFeFlt3L₉₄₂, the coding strand of which was shown to have nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:43. The reverse complement of SEQ ID NO:43 is referred to herein as SEQ ID NO:45. Translation of SEQ ID NO:43 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeFlt3L₉₄₂ encodes a Flt3 ligand protein of 291 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeFlt3L₂₉₁, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:44, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 31 through nucleotide 33 of SEQ ID NO:43 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 904 through nucleotide 906 of SEQ ID NO:43. The coding region encoding PFeFlt3L₂₉₁, not including the termination codon, is presented herein as nFeFlt3L₈₇₃, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:46 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:47 (the complementary strand). A putative signal sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 31 to nucleotide 108 of SEQ ID NO:43. The proposed mature protein, denoted herein as PFeFlt3L₂₆₅, denoted SEQ ID NO:49, contains about 265 amino acids, extending from residue 27 though residue 291 of SEQ ID NO:44. The nucleic acid molecule encoding PFeFlt3L₂₆₅, is denoted herein as nFeFlt3L₇₉₅, (SEQ ID NO:48) extending from nucleotide 109 through nucleotide 903 of SEQ ID NO:43. SEQ ID NO:48 has a complementary strand denoted SEQ ID NO:50.

Sequence alignment indicates that nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:43 shares the highest (67.8%) identity with the nucleic acid sequence of human Flt-3 ligand (GenBank accession numbers U04806 and U03858). Amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:44 shares the highest (70.2%) identity with human Flt-3 ligand protein (GenBank accession numbers U04806 and U03858).

Example 3.

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of certain canine CD40 and feline CD40 nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention.

A. Canine CD40 Nucleic Acid Molecules and Proteins

This example describes the production of certain canine CD40 nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention.

A canine CD40 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention was produced by PCR amplification as follows. A 321-nucleotide canine CD40 nucleic acid molecule, denoted nCaCD40₃₂₁, was amplified from a canine PBMC cDNA library, prepared as described in Example 1, using two degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed in accordance with conserved regions of human, bovine, rabbit, and mouse CD40 gene sequences available in GenBank; sense primer, 5′ TGCCCRSTCG GCTTCTTCTC C 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:128; and antisense primer, 5′ CGACTCTCTT TRCCRTCCTC CTG 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:129, where R was either A or G and S was either G or C. PCR conditions were as follows: one initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 3 minutes; then 35 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 30 seconds, then 53° C. for 30 seconds, then 72° C. for 105 seconds; followed by one final extension at 72° C. for 5 minutes. The resulting PCR product, i.e., nCaCD40₃₂₁, with a coding strand represented by SEQ ID NO:51, was radiolabeled using standard techniques and used to screen the canine PBMC cDNA library, under the following hybridization conditions: hybridized in 6×SSC, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5% SDS, 100 μg/ml single stranded DNA, 100 μg/ml tRNA for 36 hours at 68° C., followed by a wash of 0.1% SDS, 1×SSC at 55° C. for 60 minutes. A clone (Clone 18B) containing a 1425-nucleotide canine CD40 nucleic acid molecule, denoted nCaCD40₁₄₂₅, was obtained. The nucleic acid sequence of the coding strand of nCaCD40₁₄₂₅ is represented as SEQ ID NO:52. The reverse complement of SEQ ID NO:52 is referred to herein as SEQ ID NO:54. Translation of SEQ ID NO:52 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaCD40₁₄₂₅ encodes a canine CD40 protein of 274 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaCD40₂₇₄, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:53, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 196 through nucleotide 198 of SEQ ID NO:52 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 1018 through nucleotide 1020 of SEQ ID NO:52. The coding region encoding PCaCD40₂₇₄, not including the termination codon, is presented herein as nCaCD40₈₂₂, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:55 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:56 (the complementary strand).

A putative signal sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 196 through nucleotide 252 of SEQ ID NO:52. The proposed mature protein, denoted herein as PCaCD40₂₅₅, represented by SEQ ID NO:58, contains about 255 amino acids, extending from residue 20 through residue 274 of SEQ ID NO:53. The nucleotide sequence encoding PCaCD40₂₅₅, which extends from nucleotide 253 through nucleotide 1017 of SEQ ID NO:52, is denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaCD40₇₆₅, represented by SEQ ID NO:57 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:59 (the complement strand).

Sequence analysis was performed with DNAsis™ using the alignment settings of: gap penalty set at 5; number of top diagonals set at 5; fixed gap penalty set at 10; k-tuple set at 2; window size set at 5 and floating gap penalty set at 10. At the amino acid level, PCaCD40₂₇₄ shares 65.3%, 50.1%, and 42.3% identity with the CD40 proteins of human, bovine, and mouse, respectively (Stamenkovic et al., EMBO J., vol. 8:1403-1410, 1989; Hirano et al., Immunology, vol. 90, pp. 294-300, 1997; Grimaldi et al., J. Immunol., vol. 143, pp. 3921-3926; Torres and Clark, J. Immuno., vol. 148, pp. 620-626). At the nucleotide level, nCaCD40₁₄₂₅ shares 69.3%, 69.4%, and 40.4% identity with the cDNA sequences of human, bovine, and mouse CD40, respectively.

B. Feline CD40 Nucleic Acid Molecules and Proteins

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of certain nucleic acid molecules of the present invention that encode certain feline CD40 proteins of the present invention.

A 336-nucleotide feline CD40 nucleic acid molecule, denoted nFeCD40₃₃₆, was amplified from a feline PBMC cDNA library, prepared as described in Example 2, using PCR conditions and primers as described in Example 3A, i.e., a sense primer having SEQ ID NO:128; and an antisense primer having SEQ ID NO:129. The resulting PCR product, i.e., nFeCD40₃₃₆, was shown to have a coding strand the nucleic acid sequence of which is represented as SEQ ID NO:60. The reverse complement of SEQ ID NO:60 is referred to herein as SEQ ID NO:62. Translation of SEQ ID NO:60 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeCD40₃₃₆ encodes a partial CD40 protein of 112 amino acids, denoted herein as PFeCD40₁₁₂, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:61, assuming an open reading frame spanning from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 336 of SEQ ID NO:60.

Comparison of nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:60 with nucleic acid molecules reported in GenBank indicates that SEQ ID NO:60 showed the most homology, i.e. 67.2% identity, with a human CD40 gene. Comparison of amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:61 with amino acid sequences reported in GenBank indicates that SEQ ID NO:61 showed the most homology, i.e. about 54.4% identity, with a human CD40 protein. Sequence analysis was performed using the GCG GAP program as described above.

Example 4

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of certain canine CD154 (canine CD40 ligand) and feline CD154 (feline CD40 ligand) nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention.

A. Canine CD154 (CD40 Ligand) Nucleic Acid Molecules and Proteins

The following describes the isolation and sequencing of certain cDNA nucleic acid molecules encoding certain canine CD154 (CD40 ligand) proteins of the present invention.

A canine CD154 nucleic acid molecule of the present invention was produced by PCR amplification as follows. A 390-nucleotide canine CD40 nucleic acid molecule, denoted nCaCD154₃₉₀, was amplified from a canine PBMC cDNA library, prepared as described in Example 1, using two degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed in accordance with human CD154 gene sequences available in GenBank; sense primer, 5′ CCTCAAATTG CGGCACATGT C 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:130; and antisense primer, 5′ CTGTTCAGAG TTTGAGTAAG CC 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:131. PCR conditions used for canine CD154 cDNA amplification were standard conditions for PCR amplification (Sambrook, et al., ibid.). The resulting PCR product, i.e., nCaCD154₃₉₀, with a coding strand represented by SEQ ID NO:63, was radiolabeled using standard techniques and used to screen the canine PBMC CDNA library, under the hybridization conditions described in Example 3. A clone containing a 1878-nucleotide canine CD154 nucleic acid molecule, denoted nCaCD154₁₈₇₈, was obtained. The nucleic acid sequence of the coding strand of nCaCD154₁₈₇₈ is represented as SEQ ID NO:64. The reverse complement of SEQ ID NO:64 is referred to herein as SEQ ID NO:66. Translation of SEQ ID NO:64 suggests that nucleic acid molecule of nCaCD154₁₈₇₈ encodes a CD154 protein of 260 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaCD154₂₆₀, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:65, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 284 through nucleotide 286 of SEQ ID NO:64 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 1064 through nucleotide 1066 of SEQ ID NO:64. The coding region encoding PCaCD154₂₆₀, not including the termination codon, is presented herein as nCaCD154₇₈₀, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:67 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:68 (the complementary strand).

A putative signal/membrane anchor sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 284 through nucleotide 430 of SEQ ID NO:64. The proposed soluble CD154 protein, denoted herein as PCaCD154₂₁₁, represented by SEQ ID NO:70, contains about 211 amino acids, extending from residue 50 through residue 260 of SEQ ID NO:65. The nucleotide sequence encoding PCaCD154₂₁₁, which extends from nucleotide 431 through nucleotide 1063 of SEQ ID NO:64, is denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaCD154₆₃₃, represented by SEQ ID NO:69 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:71 (the complement strand).

Sequence analysis was performed with DNAsis™ using the alignment settings of: gap penalty set at 5; number of top diagonals set at 5; fixed gap penalty set at 10; k-tuple set at 2; window size set at 5 and floating gap penalty set at 10. At the amino acid level, PCaCD154₂₆₀ shares 78.0%, 77.6%, and 67.6% identity with the CD154 proteins of human, bovine, and mouse, respectively (Graf et al., Eur. J. Immunol., vol. 22, pp. 3191-3194, 1992; Hollenbaugh, et al., EMBO J., vol. 11:4313-4321, 1992; Gauchat et al., FEBS lett., vol., 315, pp. 259-266, 1993; Mertens et al., Immunogenetics, vol. 42, pp. 430-431; Armitage et al., Nature, vol. 357, pp. 80-82; 1992). At the nucleotide level, nCaCD154₁₈₇₈, shares 81.1%, 81.5%, and 74.4% identity with the sequences of human, bovine, and mouse CD154 cDNAs, respectively.

B. Feline CD154 (CD40 ligand) Nucleic Acid Molecules and Proteins

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of certain nucleic acid molecules encoding certain feline CD154 (CD40 ligand) proteins of the present invention.

A feline CD154 nucleic acid molecule was isolated by PCR amplification from a feline PBMC CDNA library, prepared as described in Example 2, using Amplitaq DNA polymerase (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc, Foster City, Calif.) under the following PCR protocol; one initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 5 minutes; then 40 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 45 seconds, then 48° C. for 45 seconds, then 72° C. for 120 seconds; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. The forward and reverse primers used were based on human CD154 cDNA sequences outside the open reading frame in the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions, respectively, so that the open reading frame in the PCR product contained only feline sequences. The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ GAAGATACCA TTTCAACTTT AACACAGC 3′ SEQ ID NO:132, and that of the reverse primer was 5′ TGCTGTATTG TGAAGACTCC CAGC 3′ SEQ ID NO:133. PCR products were cloned into the TA cloning vector (available from Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, Calif.), and the resulting clones were sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.).

The PCR product was sequenced and found to contain 885 nucleotides, and is denoted as nFeCD154₈₈₅. The nucleotide sequence of the coding strand of nFeCD154₈₈₅ is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:72, and its complement is denoted SEQ ID NO:74. Translation of the open reading frame in SEQ ID NO:72 suggests that nFeCD154₈₈₅ encodes a protein containing 260 amino acids, referred to herein as PFeCD154₂₆₀, the amino acid sequence of which is presented as SEQ ID NO:73, assuming an open reading frame in which the first codon spans from nucleotide 29 through nucleotide 31 of SEQ ID NO:72, and the stop codon spans from nucleotide 809 through nucleotide 811 of SEQ ID NO:72. The encoded protein has a predicted molecular weight of 28.6 kDa for the precursor protein and 27.2 kDa for the mature protein. The coding region encoding PFeCD154₂₆₀, not including the termination codon, is presented herein as nFeCD154₇₈₀, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:75 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:76 (the complementary strand)

A putative signal/membrane anchor sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 29 through nucleotide 175 of SEQ ID NO:72. The proposed soluble feline CD154 protein, denoted herein as PFeCD154₂₁₁, represented by SEQ ID NO:78, contains about 211 amino acids, extending from residue 50 though residue 260 of SEQ ID NO:₇₃. The nucleotide sequence encoding PFeCD154₂₁₁, denoted herein as nFeCD154₆₃₃ which extends from nucleotide 176 through nucleotide 808 of SEQ ID NO:72, is represented herein by SEQ ID NO:77 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:79 (the complementary strand).

Comparison of feline CD154 nucleotide and amino acid sequences with those of other species published in GenBank reveals that the feline CD154 nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:75 is 86%, 88% and 75% identical to the human, bovine and murine CD154 gene sequences, respectively (Genbank accession number L07414, Z48469 and X56453 respectively). At the amino acid sequence level, SEQ ID NO:73 is 81%, 82%, and 67% identical to the human, bovine and murine CD154 amino acid sequences, respectively. Hydrophobicity analysis of feline CD154 proteins results in a pattern similar to those of human, bovine and murine CD154 proteins. A putative N-glycosylation site was identified at position 239 in PFeCD154₂₆₀ that is conserved in the human, bovine and murine amino acid sequences. Five cysteine residues are present in the feline CD154 protein sequence SEQ ID NO:73. Four of the five residues, located at positions 72, 84, 177 and 217 of PFeCD154₂₆₀, are conserved in all four species and are likely involved in disulfide bond formation. The cysteine residue located at position 193 of PFeCD154₂₆₀ is present in all but the murine sequence.

Example 5

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of certain canine IL-5 nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention. This example also describes expression of canine IL-5 in a Pichia expression system.

A. Isolation and Sequencing of Canine IL-5 Nucleic Acid Molecules and Proteins

A canine IL-5 cDNA nucleic acid molecule encoding a canine IL-5 protein was isolated by PCR amplification from a canine PBMC cDNA library (prepared as described in Example 1) using PCR conditions as described in Example 4B and the following primers. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers were designed in accordance with conserved regions of human and cat IL-5 gene sequences available in GenBank; sense primer, 5′ ATGCACTTTC TTTGCC 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:134; antisense primer 1, 5′ CTGGAGGAAA AKACTTCRAT GATTCTGATA TCTGAAATAT AT 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:135; and antisense primer 2, 5′ CTGACYCTTK STTGGSCCTC ATTCTCA 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:136, where K was G or T, R was either A or G, S was either G or C, and Y was either T or C.

An about 610-nucleotide canine IL-5 nucleic acid molecule, denoted nCaIL-5₆₁₀, was obtained using primers having SEQ ID NO:134 and SEQ ID NO:135, respectively. The sequence of the coding strand of nCaIL-5₆₁₀ is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:80. The reverse complement of SEQ ID NO:80 is referred to herein as SEQ ID NO:82. Translation of SEQ ID NO:80 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-5₆₁₀ encodes an IL-5 protein of 134 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-5₁₃₄, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:81, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 29 through nucleotide 31 of SEQ ID NO:80 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 431 through nucleotide 433 of SEQ ID NO:80. The coding region encoding PCaIL-13₁₃₄, not including the termination codon, is presented herein as nCaIL-5₄₀₂, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:83 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:84 (the complementary strand).

An about 488-nucleotide fragment, denoted herein as nCaIL-5₄₈₈, isolated by PCR with primers having SEQ ID NO:134 and SEQ ID NO:136, respectively, corresponds to nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 488 of nCaIL-5₆₁₀.

A putative signal sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 29 through nucleotide 85 of SEQ ID NO:80. The proposed mature protein, denoted herein as PCaIL-5₁₁₅, represented by SEQ ID NO:86, contains about 115 amino acids, extending from residue 20 though residue 134 of SEQ ID NO:81. The nucleotide sequence encoding PCaIL-5₁₁₅, which extends from nucleotide 86 through nucleotide 430 of SEQ ID NO:80, is denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-5₃₄5, represented by SEQ ID NO:85 (coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:87 (the complement strand).

Sequence analysis was performed with DNAsis™ using the alignment settings of: gap penalty set at 5; number of top diagonals set at 5; fixed gap penalty set at 10; k-tuple set at 2; window size set at 5 and floating gap penalty set at 10. At the amino acid level, PCaIL-5₁₃₄ shared 82.8% and 57.4% identity with feline and human IL-5 proteins, respectively (Padrid et al., Am. J. Vet. Res., vol. 59, pp. 1263-1269, 1998; Azuma et al., Nucleic Acids Res., vol. 14, pp. 9149-9158, 1986). At the nucleotide level, nCaIL-5₆₁₀ shared 81.7% and 75% identity with the cDNA sequences of the feline and human IL-5, respectively.

B. Expression of Canine IL-5 in Pichia

This example describes the expression in Pichia of a canine IL-5 cDNA fragment, namely a canine IL-5 nucleic acid molecule denoted nCaIL-5₃₄₈, the coding strand of which consists of nucleotides 86-433 of SEQ ID NO:80, and as such, encodes a predicted mature canine IL-5 protein having SEQ ID NO:86. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-5₃₄₈, was PCR amplified from nCaIL-5₆₁₀ using sense primer 5′ GGGCTCGAGA AAAGATTTGC TGTAGAAAAT CCCATG 3′ denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:137, with nucleotides 16-36 corresponding to nucleotides 86-106 of SEQ ID NO:80; and antisense primer 5′ CCCGCGGCCG CTCAACTTTC CGGTGTCCAC TC 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:138, with nucleotides 12-32 corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 413-433 of SEQ ID NO:80. To facilitate cloning, anxhol site (shown in bold) was added to the sense primer and a NotI site (shown in bold) was added to the antisense primer. The PCR-amplified fragment was digested with restriction endonucleases XhoI and NotI, gel purified and ligated into pPICZαA plasmid vector, available from Invitrogen, that has been digested by Aho I and Not I and gel purified, to produce recombinant molecule pPICZαA-nCaIL-5₃₄₈. The insert in the recombinant molecule was verified by DNA sequencing The recombinant molecule was used to transform Pichia pastoris strain X-33 by electroporation to produce recombinant cell Pichia-pPICZαA-nCaIL-5₃₄₈. Recombinant cell Pichia-pPICZαA-nCaIL-5₃₄₈ was cultured using techniques known to those skilled in the art and IL-5 expression was induced with methanol. The supernatant was recovered and submitted to SDS-PAGE. Silver staining of the resultant gel indicated a band of about 18 kDa only seen in the supernatant of Pichia transformed with recombinant molecule pPICZαA-nCaIL-5₃₄₈.

Example 6

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of certain canine IL-13 nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention. This example also describes expression of canine IL-13 in E. coli.

A. Isolation and Sequencing of Canine IL-13 Nucleic Acid Molecules and Proteins

A canine IL-13 cDNA nucleic acid molecule encoding a canine IL-13 protein was isolated by PCR amplification from a canine PBMC cDNA library (prepared as described in Example 1) using the following primers and PCR conditions: Degenerate oligonucleotide primers were designed in accordance with conserved regions of human and cat IL-5 gene sequences available in GenBank; sense primer, 5′ GTCMTKGCTC TYRCTTGCCT TGG 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:139; antisense primer 1, 5′ AAASTGGGCY ACYTCGATTT TGG 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:140; antisense primer 2, 5′ GTGATGTTGM YCAGCTCCTC 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:141, where M was either A or C, K was G or T, R was either A or G, S was either G or C, and Y was either T or C. PCR conditions used were as follows: One initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 3 minutes; then 38 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 30 seconds, 51.8° C. for 45 seconds, then 72° C. for 105 seconds; then a final extension at 72° C. for 5 minutes.

An about 272-nucleotide canine IL-13 nucleic acid molecule, denoted nCaIL-13₂₇₂ and having a coding strand represented by SEQ ID NO:89, was PCR amplified using primers having nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NO:139 and SEQ ID NO:140, respectively. An about 166-nucleotide canine IL-13 nucleic acid molecule, denoted nCaIL-13₁₆₆ and having a coding strand represented by SEQ ID NO:88, was isolated using primers having nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NO:142 (see Example 2B) and SEQ ID NO:141, respectively. Nucleic acid molecules nCaIL-13₂₇₂ and nCaIL-13₂₇₂ form a overlapping composite fragment of 383 nucleotides, denoted nCaIL-13₃₈₃. Two canine IL-13 specific primers (i.e., sense primer, 5′ ATGGCGCTCT GGTTGACTGT 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:143; and antisense primer, 5′ GGCTTTTGAG AGCACAGTGC 3′, denoted herein as SEQ I) NO:144) were derived from nCaIL-13₃₈₃ and were used to isolate a 278-nucleotide fragment, denoted nCaIL-13₂₇₈ and having a coding strand represented by SEQ ID NO:90. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-13₂₇₈ was radiolabeled and used to screen the canine PBMC cDNA library under the following hybridization conditions: hybridization took place in 6×SSC, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5% SDS, 100 μg/ml single stranded DNA, 100 μg/ml tRNA, for 36 hours at 60° C.; the final wash solution was 0.1% SDS, 0.125×SSC at 60° C. for 30 minutes. Two clones were selected, namely clone 80 and clone 78.

Sequence analysis of Clone 80 indicated that the clone includes an about 1302-nucleotide canine IL-13 nucleic acid molecule referred to herein as nCaIL 13₁₃₀₂, the coding strand of which was shown to have nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:91. The reverse complement of SEQ ID NO:91 is referred to herein as SEQ ID NO:93. Translation of SEQ ID NO:91 suggests that nucleic acid molecule n nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂ encodes an IL-13 protein of 131 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-13₁₃₁, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:92, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 52 through nucleotide 54 of SEQ ID NO:91 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 445 through nucleotide 447 of SEQ ID NO:91. The coding region encoding PCaIL-13₁₃₁, not including the termination codon, is presented herein as nCaIL-13₃₉₃, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:94 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:95 (the complementary strand).

A putative signal sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 52 to nucleotide 111 of SEQ ID NO:9 1. The proposed mature protein, denoted herein as PCaIL-13₁₁₁, represented by SEQ ID NO:97, contains 111 amino acids, extending from residue 21 through residue 131 of SEQ ID NO:91. The nucleotide sequence encoding PCaIL-13₁₁₁, which extends from nucleotide 112 through nucleotide 444 of SEQ ID NO:91, is denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-13₃₃₃, represented by SEQ ID NO:96 (coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:98 (the complement strand).

Sequence analysis of Clone 78 indicated that the clone includes an about 1269-nucleotide canine IL-13 nucleic acid molecule referred to herein as nCaIL-13₁₂₆₉, the coding strand of which was shown to have nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:99. The reverse complement of SEQ ID NO:99 is referred to herein as SEQ ID NO:101. Transition of SEQ ID NO:99 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-13₁₂₆₉ encodes an IL-13 protein of 130 amino acids, denoted herein as PCaIL-13₁₃₀, the amino acid sequence of which is presented in SEQ ID NO:100, assuming an open reading frame having an initiation codon spanning from nucleotide 57 through nucleotide 59 of SEQ ID NO:99 and a stop codon spanning from nucleotide 447 through nucleotide 449 of SEQ ID NO:99. The coding region encoding PCaIL-13₁₃₀, not including the termination codon, is represented herein as nCaIL-13₃₉₀, which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:102 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:103 (the complementary strand). PCaIL-13₁₃₀ is missing one amino acid compared to PCaIL-13₁₃₃, namely amino acid position Q97 of PCaIL-13₁₃₃.

A putative signal sequence coding region extends from nucleotide 57 to nucleotide 116 of SEQ ID NO:99. The proposed mature protein, denoted herein as PCaIL-13₁₁₀, represented by SEQ ID NO:105, contains 110 amino acids, extending from residue 21 though residue 130 of SEQ ID NO:100. The nucleotide sequence encoding PCaIL-13₁₁₀, which extends from nucleotide 117 through nucleotide 446 of SEQ ID NO:99, is denoted herein as nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-13₃₃₀, represented by SEQ ID NO:104 (coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:106 (the complement strand).

Sequence analysis was performed with DNAsis™ using the alignment settings of: gap penalty set at 5; number of top diagonals set at 5; fixed gap penalty set at 10; k-tuple set at 2; window size set at 5 and floating gap penalty set at 10. At the amino acid level, PCaIL-13₁₃₁ shared 61.7%, 39.6%, 36.6% identity with the IL-13 proteins of human, mouse, and rat (Brown et al., J. Immunol., vol. 142, pp 679-687, 1989; Lakkis et al., Biochem, Biophys, Res. Commun., Vol. 197, pp. 612-618, 1993; McKenzie et al., Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 90, pp. 3735-3739, 1993; Minty et al., Nature, vol. 362, pp. 248-250, 1993), respectively. At the nucleotide level, nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂ shared 56.0%, 57.1%, and 45.9% identity with the sequences of human, rat, and mouse IL-13 cDNAs, respectively.

B. Expression of Canine IL-13 in E. coli

This example describes the expression in E. coliof a canine IL-13 cDNA fragment, namely a canine IL-13 nucleic acid molecule denoted nCaIL-13₃₃₆, the coding strand of which consists of nucleotides 112-447 of SEQ ID NO:91, and as such, encodes a predicted mature canine IL-13 protein having SEQ ID NO:97. Nucleic acid molecule nCaIL-13₃₃₆ was PCR amplified from nCaIL-13₁₃₀₂ using sense primer 5′ CCCCATATGA GCCCTGTGAC TCCCTCCCC 3′ denoted herein as SEQ ID; 145, with nucleotides 10-29 corresponding to nucleotides 112-1131 of SEQ ID NO:91; and antisense primer 5′ GGGGAATTCT CATCTGAAAT TTCCATGGCG 3′, denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:146, with nucleotides 10-30 corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 427-447 of SEQ ID NO:91. To facilitate cloning, an NdeI site (shown in bold) was added to the sense primer and an EcoRI site (shown in bold) was added to the antisense primer. The resulting PCR fragment was digested with restriction endonucleases NdeI and EcoRI, gel purified and ligated into λcro plasmid vector, the production of which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,603 by Tripp et al., issued Oct. 29, 1996, that had been digested by NdeI and EcoRI and gel purified to produce recombinant molecule pλcro-nCaIL-13₃₃₆. The insert in the recombinant molecule was verified by DNA sequencing. Recombinant molecule pλcro-nCaIL-13₃₃₆ was used to transform E. colistrain HCE101 (BL21), thereby producing BL21-pλcro-nCaIL-13₃₃₆. PCaIL-13₁₁₁ was produced under conditions as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,603, ibid., protein expression being induced by switching the fermentation temperature from 32° C. to 42° C. SDS-PAGE and Commassie blue staining analysis indicated that a band of about 11 kD was only produced by induced BL21-pλcro-nCaIL-13₃₃₆ recombinant cells. The 11-kD band showed a positive reaction with a rabbit polyclonal antibody against human IL-13 (available from PeproTech Inc, Rocky Hill, N.J.), indicating expression of canine IL-13 in E. coli.

Example 7

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of feline interferon alpha nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention.

Feline IFN-alpha nucleic acid molecules were PCR amplified from a feline cDNA library as follows. Total RNA was isolated from cat (kitten) mesenteric lymph node cells stimulated with PMA (phorbol myristate acetate) for 48 hours using Tri Reagent™ (available from Molecular Research Center, Cincinnati, Ohio). cDNA was made from the RNA using the cDNA synthesis kit containing Ready to Go -You Prime First-Strand Beads™ (available from Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Picataway, N.J.). An aliquot of this cDNA was used as a template to isolate a feline IFN-alpha nucleic acid molecule by PCR amplification using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc, Foster City, Calif.) and the following primers and conditions. The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ ATGGCGCTGC CCTCTTCCTT CTTG 3′ (SEQ ID NO:143), and that of the reverse primer was 5′ TCATTTCTCG CTCCTTAATC TTTTCTGC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:148). The following PCR protocol was used: one initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 5 minutes; then 43 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 45 seconds, then 47° C. for 45 seconds, then 72° C. for 120 seconds; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. PCR products were cloned into the TA cloning vector (available from Invitrogen Corporation) and the clones were sequenced using an ABI Prism™ Model 377 Automatic DNA Sequencer (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.). DNA sequencing reactions were performed using Prism™ dRhodamine Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction kits (available from PE Applied Biosystems Inc.).

Two PCR products were generated and sequenced. Both contained 570 nucleotides (including the termination codons), and are distinguished as Clone #2 and Clone #3 as there were differences in the sequences of the clones.

Clone #2 includes a feline IFN-alpha nucleic acid molecule that is represented herein as nFeIFNα_(567a), the coding strand of which was shown to have a nucleic acid sequence denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:107. The complement of SEQ ID NO:107 is represented herein by SEQ ID NO:109. Translation of SEQ ID NO:107 suggests that nFeIFNα_(567a) encodes a protein containing 189 amino acids, referred to herein as PFeIFNα_(189a), with an amino acid sequence denoted SEQ ID NO:108. The open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:107 is assumed to be the following: the first codon spans from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 and the last codon before the stop codon spans from nucleotide 565 to nucleotide 567 of SEQ ID NO:107. The encoded protein has a predicted molecular weight of 21 kDa. The putative signal peptide cleavage site occurs between amino acid positions 23 and 24, based on homology with the human and canine interferon-alpha proteins. The proposed mature protein (i.e. feline IFNα protein from which the signal sequence has been cleaved), denoted herein as PFeIFNα_(166a), contains about 166 amino acids, extending from residue 24 to residue 166 of SEQ ID NO:108; the amino acid sequence is denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:114. The nucleic acid molecule encoding PFeIFNα_(166a) is denoted herein as nFeIFNα_(498a), which is represented by SEQ ID NO:113, with a complementary sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:115. A putative N-glycosylation site and an interferon alpha-beta-delta family signature motif are present at amino acid positions 102 and 145, respectively, of PfeIFNα_(189a).

Clone #3 includes a feline IFN-alpha nucleic acid molecule that is represented herein as nFeIFNα_(567b), the coding strand of which was shown to have a nucleic acid sequence denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:110. The complement of SEQ ID NO:110 is represented herein by SEQ ID NO:112. Translation of SEQ ID NO:110 suggests that nFeIFNα_(567b) encodes a protein containing 189 amino acids, referred to herein as PFeIFNα_(189b), with an amino acid sequence denoted SEQ ID NO:111. The open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:110 is assumed to be the following: the first codon spans from nucleotide 1 through nucleotide 3 and the last codon before the stop codon spans from nucleotide 565 through nucleotide 567 of SEQ ID NO:110. The encoded protein has a predicted molecular weight of 21 kDa. The putative signal peptide cleavage site occurs between amino acid positions 23 and 24, based on homology with the human and canine interferon-alpha proteins. The proposed mature protein (i.e. feline IFNα protein from which the signal sequence has been cleaved), denoted herein as PFeIFNα_(166b), contains about 166 amino acids, extending from residue 24 to residue 166 of SEQ ID NO:111, the amino acid sequence is denoted herein as SEQ ID NO:117. The nucleic acid molecule encoding PFeIFNα_(166b) is denoted herein as nFeIFNα_(498b), which is represented by SEQ ID NO:116, with a complementary sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:118. A putative N-glycosylation site and an interferon alpha-beta-delta family signature motif are present at amino acid positions 102 and 145, respectively, of PFeIFNα_(189b).

The differences between the proteins encoded by SEQ ID NO:107 and SEQ ID NO:110 are detailed as follows: The amino acid residues at position 56 in SEQ ID NO:108 (i.e., the protein encoded by SEQ ID NO:107) and at position 56 in SEQ ID NO:111 (i.e., the protein encoded by SEQ ID NO:110) are both arginines, although the corresponding codons in SEQ ID NO:107 and SEQ ID NO:110 are AGA and AGG, respectively. The amino acid residues at position 74 in SEQ ID NO:108 and at position 74 in SEQ ID NO:111 are both alanines, although the corresponding codons in SEQ ID NO:107 and SEQ ID NO:110 are GCC and GCT, respectively. The amino acid residue at position 86 in SEQ ID NO:108 is lysine, encoded by AAG in SEQ ID NO:107, whereas the amino acid residue at position 86 in SEQ ID NO:111 is glutamic acid, encoded by GAG in SEQ ID NO:110. The amino acid residue at position 125 in SEQ ID NO:108 is methionine, encoded by CTG in SEQ ID NO:107, whereas the amino acid residue at position 125 in SEQ ID NO:111 is valine, encoded by GTG in SEQ ID NO:110. The amino acid residue at position 141 in SEQ ID NO:108 is isovaline, encoded by ATC in SEQ ID NO:107, whereas the amino acid residue at position 141 in SEQ ID NO:111 is leucine, encoded by CTC in SEQ ID NO:110.

Feline IFN-alpha proteins of the present invention PFeIFNα_(189a) and PfeIFNα_(189b) are five amino acids shorter than the GenBank entry for feline IFN-alpha, accession #E02521. In addition, there are 3 non-conservative and 2 conservative changes at the amino acid level between this GenBank entry and SEQ ID NO:108 (PFeIFNα_(189a)) as well as 4 non-conservative and 3 conservative changes at the amino acid level between this GenBank entry and SEQ ID NO:111 (PfeIFNα_(189b)). The lengths of SEQ ID NO:108 and SEQ ID NO:111, when compared with those of IFN-alpha proteins of other species, are two amino acids longer than published canine interferon-alpha subtype 1, 2 and 3 sequences, two amino acids longer than published human interferon-alpha type I,B,D, F, and J, sequences, three amino acids longer than the published human interferon-alpha sequence type A sequence and two amino acids longer than published murine interferon-alpha type B, 8, 7, 11, and 19 sequences.

Example 8

This example describes the isolation and sequencing of feline granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) nucleic acid molecules and proteins of the present invention. This example also describes expression of a feline GMCSF protein of the present invention.

Nucleic acid molecules encoding feline GMCSF were isolated as follows. A cDNA library was prepared from feline PBMCs stimulated with Con A for 12 hours, as previously described in Example 2. An aliquot of this library was used as a template to amplify feline GMCSF nucleic acid molecules by PCR using Amplitaq DNA polymerase™ (PE Applied Biosystems Inc, Foster City, Calif.) and the following primers and conditions The sequence of the forward primer was 5′ CAGGATCCA CCATGTGGCT GCAGAACCTG CTTTTCC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:149), and that of the reverse primer was 5′ TTACTTCTGG TCTGGTCCCC AGCAGTCAAA GGGGTTGTTA AACAGAAAAT 3′ (SEQ ID NO:150). The following PCR protocol was used: one initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 5 minutes; then 35 cycles of the following: 94° C. for 30 seconds, then 50° C. for 30 seconds, then 72° C. for 90 seconds; followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 7 minutes. PCR products were cloned into the CMV-Intron A vector and the clones were sequenced as described in Example 7.

A PCR product was isolated, referred to herein as nFeGMCSF₄₄₄, the coding strand of which is represented herein as SEQ ID NO:119, and its complement is denoted SEQ ID NO:121. Translation of the open reading frame in SEQ ID NO:119 suggests that nucleic acid molecule nFeGMCSF₄₄₄ encodes a protein containing 144 amino acids, referred to herein as PFeGMCSF₁₄₄, with an amino acid sequence denoted SEQ ID NO:120, assuming an open reading frame in which the first codon spans from nucleotide 10 through nucleotide 12 of SEQ ID NO:119, and the stop codon spans from nucleotide 442 through nucleotide 444 of SEQ ID NO:121. The encoded protein has a predicted molecular weight of 16 kDa. The coding region encoding PFeGMCSF₁₄₄ is presented herein as nFeGMCSF₄₃₂ which has the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:122 (the coding strand) and SEQ ID NO:123 (the complementary strand). A putative signal peptide cleavage site is between amino acid positions 17 and 18, based on homology with human, mouse and ovine GMCSF proteins. The nucleic acid molecule encoding the proposed mature protein is denoted as nFeGMCSF₃₈₁ and has a nucleotide sequence represented herein as SEQ ID NO:124 and a complementary sequence represented herein as SEQ ID NO:126. The amino acid sequence of the putative mature protein, referred to herein as PFeGMCSF₁₂₇, has an amino acid sequence represented herein as SEQ ID NO:125. The number of amino acids in the feline GMCSF protein is the same compared to human, porcine, ovine and canine GMCSF proteins. The feline GMCSF protein is one amino acid longer than bovine GMCSF and three amino acid longer than murine GMCSF.

The deduced amino acid sequence of the full-length feline GMCSF protein of the present invention has four non-conservative changes and one conservative change compared to a GenBank entry for feline GMCSF (accession #AF053007). Amino acids asparagine, methionine, threonine, and lysine at positions 10, 36, 56 and 126 of the GenBank entry have been changed to glycine, isoleucine, alanine and asparagine, respectively, in PfeGMCSF₁₄₄, PFeGMCSF₁₄₄, containing the above-noted amino acid substitutions, appears to have GMCSF activity, as demonstrated by an experiment in which supernatant collected from Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells that were transiently transfected with a recombinant molecule encoding a feline GMCSF protein of the present invention was able to induce proliferation of TF-1 cells.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and adaptations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. It is to be expressly understood, however, that such modifications and adaptations are within the scope of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims. 

1. An isolated protein selected from the group consisting of: (a) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said 20 amino acids are encoded by a nucleic acid molecule that has at least 60 contiguous nucleotide region identical in sequence to a 60 contiguous nucleotide region of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:4, and SEQ ID NO:19; and (b) an isolated protein of at least about 20 amino acids in length, wherein said protein has an at least 20 contiguous amino acid region identical in sequence to a 20 contiguous amino acid region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:20, wherein said isolated protein of (a) or (b) elicits an immune response against a canine IL-4 protein or has IL-4 activity.
 2. The isolated protein of claim 1, wherein said protein has an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:20.
 3. The isolated protein of claim 2, wherein the protein has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.
 4. The isolated protein of claim 2, wherein the protein has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:20.
 5. An isolated protein having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 85 percent identical to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:20, wherein said isolated protein elicits and immune response against a canine IL-4 protein or has IL-4 activity.
 6. A therapeutic composition comprising the isolated protein of claim
 1. 7. The composition of claim 6, wherein said composition further comprises a component selected from the group consisting of an excipient, an adjuvant and a carrier.
 8. A method to regulate an immune response in an animal comprising administering to the animal the therapeutic composition of claim
 6. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said animal is a canid.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein said composition further comprises a component selected from the group consisting of an excipient, an adjuvant and a carrier. 